BDP blocks power, water probe
Oarabile Mosikare | Wednesday July 8, 2015 16:14
The motion followed two days of pandemonium in the National Assembly, starting on Monday when security personnel carried UDC Gaborone Central MP, Phenyo Butale out of Parliament after a heated debate over the motion. Deputy Speaker, Kagiso Molatlhegi ordered Butale to be forced out, as tensions rose over the tabling of the urgent motion.
Yesterday morning, UDC leaders held an emotional briefing where they vowed to seek answers for the electricity and water crisis “even if we have to bring Parliament to a standstill”. Tensions were high at the National Assembly ahead of its afternoon sitting, after UDC legislators said they would “use force” to get their motion heard.
When the motion was finally tabled at 1430hrs – by the UDC’s Gaborone North legislator Haskins Nkaigwa – legislators from across the political divide appeared to support it. “I agree with Nkaigwa. It is a motion of national importance,” said Letlhakeng-Lephephe legislator, Liakat Kablay of the BDP.
The ruling party’s MP for Tati East, Samson Moyo Guma added: “We are in support of the motion as the Statutory and State Enterprises Committee.”
Guma is the Committee’s chair.
However, matters took a surprise turn when Molatlhegi called for a vote, as the results indicated that all 16 opposition legislators present in the House voted for the motion, while all the 22 BDP legislators present voted against.
Tabling the motion earlier, Nkaigwa said Botswana continues to experience extensive and long water and power cuts. “Despite investment in power and water, we still have experiences of no power and water in our localities. We want to know what happened to our money. Power and water are very key in any economy,” submitted Nkaigwa.
He said in 2014 President Ian Khama had assured the nation that power cuts would be a thing of the past and yet to this day nothing had changed.
The country has been plagued by deteriorating electricity shortages since 2008, with widespread and sporadic loadshedding especially every winter. The P12 billion Morupule B power station is yet to fully function and frequently breaks down. Meanwhile, the Greater Gaborone area with at least 500,000 residents has experienced crippling water rationing since November 2012 due primarily to the drying up of Gaborone Dam and the lack of effective remedial responses.