North South pipeline still on track - PHK

Bame Piet | Thursday December 5, 2013 18:12

This was said by Vice President Ponatshego Kedikilwe on Monday when responding to comments made by Members of Parliament in response to President Ian Khama’s State of the Nation address last month.

Unlike his predecessor, former vice president Mompati Merafhe, Kedikilwe seems of a diplomatic character that carefully chooses words to dismiss his opponents with dignity.

Kedikilwe said that the pipe bursts often because the soil around the area is collapsible, and not poor quality of pipes as alleged by MPs.

“The facts as exposed to me are that the 250km glass reinforced plastic pipe has problems only around the 26km portion where the pipes are 1.4m compared to 1.2m. The 26km portion is north of Palapye where the pressure builds up to Lotsane River.

“The same pipe material for the 224km is reported to be not showing any problems. Lobatse to Gaborone was laid in 1995; 600mm diameter (pipe) has not shown any problems,” Kedikilwe said.

Kedikilwe said that the government indeed promised access to water for all by 2013 but due to poor rains, the dams have dried up, therefore making that promise impossible at this moment.

He said the government had delivered three major dams that have potential to address water shortage, but also suffered from the impact of low rainfall.

A former Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources for more than four years, Kedikilwe spent most of his response on issues related to water, minerals and energy and hinted that in the near future, Botswana would be able to produce its own diesel from coal through the National Oil Company.

“Just a week ago, potential partners from Canada were in Selebi-Phikwe to pursue just this thing.

We will subsequently produce our own diesel from the coal to liquids technology,” Kedikilwe said.

He cautioned that Botswana was at risk of potential low fuel supply as 95 percent of its fuel imports come from South Africa, and therefore the Trans Kgalagadi Railway to Namibia was crucial in this subject and processes of setting up an office in Windhoek to overlook the project were ongoing.

“We must find ways of getting out of here, to the east, to the west, and if possible to north as well. This is the way we are proceeding,” he said. 

Kedikilwe acknowledged that there were few Batswana-owned diamond-cutting companies, citing the high costs of the business such as expensive equipment and the complex nature of diamond dealing.

However, he said there were measures in place to advice those who are showing interest in the business.

Meanwhile, Botswana will commence construction of the pipeline to draw water from the Chobe-Zambezi River by October 2014. The water (495 million cubic litres), which will be conveyed to the 45 000-hectare Agro Commercial development west of Pandamantenga Farms.

Kedikilwe added that the World Bank had availed funds (approximately P15 million) for the undertaking of a feasibility study for the Lesotho highlands water pipeline project next year.