Ga-Molopo Residents Bemoan Water, Electricity Nightmares
Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday November 30, 2021 06:00
Like in the past elections, politicians have put the two items at the top of their agenda as council by-elections loom and residents grow weary of piecrust promises: easy to make, easy to break.
When The Monitor team arrived in Phitshane- Molopo on Saturday morning, they met a resident who was trying to fetch water from a tap, but no drop came out.
“Haish a bo a ntse a seyo metsi a mono,” she exclaimed as she then moved to get water from a large drum placed right next to the tap. She revealed it has become their way of life and also went on to state that even electricity had been cut off a night before when it rained.
The issues have since become ammunition for politicians who put it at the helm of their piecrust promises. Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) candidate, Kgotlaetsile Bantatetse who has been losing elections since 2006 believes it is time he is given a chance to fix the problems.
“For a long time people in Molete were promised electricity connection, but to date nothing has happened. Even places like Phitshane where electricity has been connected we always experience constant power cuts, which affects individuals and businesses badly. People in Phitshane and Mokatako also hardly get any drop and I intend to work with the Member of Parliament to at least push for use of boreholes to give people water,” he said.
He also stated that there are many impoverished people and unemployed youth in the ward that he would push for to benefit from relevant government programmes. Bantatetse, who is a person living with a disability, also said he would speak up for fellow disabled people.
For his part, Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) candidate, Tebogo Moacwi also complained about water and electricity. “Our main challenges, which I intend to tackle are water and electricity issues. People are not happy that things have stayed the same for a very long time now. We are ruling and should be able to get things done. Unfortunately, our late councillor was unwell for a long time and could not deliver on what we promised in 2019. I will speak up against the lethargicness at Water Utilities Corporation to implement projects,” he said.
The ward was won by BDP in 2019 with 1,024 votes, UDC got 787 votes, Alliance for Progressives got 83 votes while Botswana Patriotic Front, which is also contesting with Botlhapile Koogotsitse had managed only 30 votes.