WUC won’t forgive Phakalane as debt balloons
Mompati Tlhankane | Tuesday February 14, 2023 06:00
Responding to questions recently, the Minister of Lands and Water Affairs Kefentse Mzwinila told Parliament that Gaborone residents owe WUC a total of P63.7 million. He said the debt estimation shows that residents of upmarket suburbs like Phakalane owe the lion's share of the city's water bill. Mzwinila was responding to Gaborone Bonnington South legislator, Christian Greeff's questions in Parliament. Greeff had asked the minister if he was aware most water bills were incurred during the State of Emergency (SoE). He further asked if government won't consider debt relief as many customers had lost their jobs at the peak of the pandemic. Mzwinila disagreed with the notion. He emphasised their observation of Phakalane residents is that they are working and have not lost income.
Mzwinila also disclosed that the total number of disconnections in Gaborone between January 15 and November 10, 2022, is 4,751 which represented P72 million owed by the said customers. “From this, only 1,471 customers responded and paid P7.9 million. A total of P63.7 million is still not responded to by customers. The total amount paid is less relative to the numbers that responded. Some customers have responded and others are on payment plans,” he revealed. Mzwinila added that the total number of disconnections done in the country between January 15 and November 10, 2022, was 22,637 customers owing P147 million. “From these only 10,873 customers responded, paid P27 million, and were reconnected. A total of 13,505 customers did not respond even after disconnections and owe P120.4 million which is being followed up,” he said. Mzwinila said the suggestion that debt should be forgiven is something that needs to be addressed with the government. “If we wipe out these debts this means we are going to approach government and Parliament to recover this money. It is Parliament that will approve a sum of around P1 billion to cancel these debts,” he emphasised. During the SoE, no disconnections were made in the country. Following the end of the SoE at the end of September 2021, no disconnections were effected.
Members of the public were given a grace period of up to the end of December 2021 to pay their outstanding bills. It was only in January 2022 that disconnections commenced, Mzwinila explained.