The powers that be; we need power! #PowerCrisis

Mmegi Editor | Tuesday March 11, 2014 15:26

It is even humiliating to learn that with electricity, the country consciously opted for dependence over self-reliance. It is actually disgusting!

In 1998, South Africa issued a white paper to Botswana and other dependents, warning them of the looming power shortages. Botswana only began to act on building its own power station, Morupule ‘B’, six years later. Sadly, Morupule ‘B’ is now a symbol of a monumental failure by the powers that be. Morupule B epitomises institutional embarrassment.

More than P11 billion has so far been wasted on this project. At one point President Ian Khama promised that darkness was on its way out; His minister, Hon Kitso Mokaila reiterated the assurance; and guess what, it was all dreams! What has been happening lately is clearly out of order. Most of the urban and peri-urban areas in Botswana have experienced the worst power outage ever. Cities like Francistown and Gaborone were plunged into unbearable darkness.

Businesses registered losses and social life disrupted as the South African power utility ESCOM had switched off Botswana from its grid. Few years ago during the Inaugural Energy Pitso held in Gaborone the then Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Ponatshego Kedikilwe admitted the government’s lackadaisical attitude towards the matter.

Kedikilwe told the meeting that it could have been cheaper to build our own resources. Despite the warning, the government decided to ignore the advice and now more than P29 billion has been used in the past three years in emergency power generation. This government’s stubbornness is legendary and pathetic.

It is adversely and inertly opposed to advice. Before the construction of Morupule ‘B’ project, the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) claimed to have advised relevant ministries during the tendering process. It further claims it advised accordingly in the Morupule B tender process; the advice was ignored.The rest, as the cliché goes, is history. Smudged with humble pie on its face, government was forced to reconsider its contract with the Chinese. 

Apparently, it demanded a multi-million Pula compensation for the costs incurred due to the delay in delivering the project. Nako kgolo ke eno, Morupule B has nothing to offer except lamentations about darkness and damaged electrical appliances. Morupule ‘B’ is one of the many failures by the current regime. In October this year, the leadership will seek a new term for another five years to rule this country. Should we trust the men and women who have been at the helm of this country for 48 years since independence?