Water, a road, phone cable and MPs

Sandy Grant | Monday April 28, 2014 10:42

This latest venture makes it perhaps the fourth time in the last few months that they have stolen cable in our small part of Odi alone. Either there is something particularly appealing to them about this area or they regard Odi as a whole as a large, fast growing village which they can pillage at will, being absolutely assured that the apathetic BTC will never get around to doing anything to stop them.  But on to other matters.

Our curiosity had been pricked by that recent news story about the Kgatleng village of Ramotlhabaki where the residents, for lack of any alternative, are obliged to drink the presumably polluted water from the river.

They have to do this because the Water Utilities has been unable to make private connections because no one there has registered their plots with the LandBoard – which they haven’t done because Mochudi is so far away. Thus, a stalemate with the MP quoted as saying that he is aware of the problem but not what he intends to do to solve it. I must say that I am unclear why the WUC is unable to provide public water connections – which would involve no problems over personal land rights or what water the villagers drink when the river is dry and presumably even more polluted than usual.

But then I am embarrassed by my general ignorance of even the basic facts about this river – does it, for instance, dry up leaving man and beast dependent on shallow pools? But how come this state of ignorance, certainly mine, and hesitantly, may I suggest yours? Is this river not a part of this country? But if so, who would. Or indeed, could know? It is never mentioned in any of the standard literature, tourism focused or otherwise. Yet within spitting distance of a water starved Gaborone there runs this majestic, wonderful river.

Why is there never any mention of it when plans are being mooted, incredibly, to carry water the vast distances to Gaborone from the Chobe and from Lesotho. Mind you, I am not at all suggesting that it might be feasible to tap into that particular water source. 

Indeed my point is that one reason why we know so little about that particular river is because, for a variety of reasons, South Africa retains a major grip on it.

In other words, it’s a river which somehow belongs more to South Africa than to this country. And it’s about time that this in-balance is changed. But it is up to us. Continue to ignore the river and those river villages and nothing will ever change.

But there are other small points that need to be made, not least, again, about MPs. I haven’t been on the Mochudi to Molotoana road for some time so was shocked to discover over the Easter weekend that it is now a wreck.

I used to enjoy the road when it was just a narrow dirt road winding through trees. And I enjoyed it again when it was tarmacked and became national scenic route 13. But now, oh dear, this road is an utter and complete disaster. Never before, I believe, have I seen a newly (for me!) engineered and constructed road disintegrate in this manner.  How is it possible that vehicles using this road have been obliged to get off it by making their own detour. The road both from Mochudi to Molotoana and from Molotoana to the national north-south road is a disaster.  How come there have been no reports about this? Is this MP also aware of the problem – but also unable to explain what he is doing about it? Apologies to him if he has already pressed every button available to him but without success.

But how is it that reports of this kind do not appear in our newspapers – not least the government’s very own Daily News? Or is unwelcome news unwelcome? But with an election around the corner, it really has become essential for everyone to know what job an MP is expected to do?  Of the many who have been elected since 1965, a few will have battled on behalf of their constituencies, most will have limited their role to the National Assembly whilst some will have done neither.

The BDP manifesto is unlikely to say anything about Parliament but the opposition candidates and the independents must now be expected to stake out their positions. Do they wish the National Assembly to be further empowered or further enfeebled?