Masama-Mmamashia pipeline to unlock Lobatse, Barolong water supply
Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Friday March 6, 2020 16:30
The coming into swing of the project is largely seen as President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s fulfilment of his water promise to the rest of the southern region, which is traditionally water stressed .
During the 2019 elections campaign, Masisi promised at every Kgotla meeting and political rallies that he will ensure that the Masama 100km project, which was rejected by Parliament in August, is resubmitted without controversy and hurdles.
Even before the completion of the North South Carrier (NSC) 2.2 project, which has been divided into several components and tenders, the traditionally water stressed areas of Lobatse and Rolong would still have water pumped from the Masama wellfields through the Masama-Mmamashia pipeline also known as Masama 100km,which forms part of the over P2 billion allocated for water infrastructure in the 2020/21 financial year.
In his ministry’s budget presentation to parliament this week, Land, Sanitation and water Minister Kefentse Mzwinila highlighted that the beneficiation of Lobatse water master plan, which covers all Barolong areas, is dependent on the completion and delivery of water into the Greater Gaborone through Masama-Mmamashia and NSC 2.2 projects.
Following the successful completion of the Mmamashia-Kanye project in December, connecting Kanye, Thamaga, Moshupa villages to the Gaborone water system, has also seen Gaborone sharing its already stretched water supply with the new connections, while the further addition of Molepolole and Thebephatshwa and villages along the pipeline this financial year would further put strain on the city’s supply, making the addition of the Masama-Mmamashia pipeline, even more strategic if not critical.
The Masama-Mmamashia pipeline project was put to tender in 2016 by Water Utilities, but conflicting interests held it back and when it was finally awarded and recognised as an immediate solution to drought situation besieging the southern region last August, corporate interests played themselves out this in Parliament, to frustrate the winning bidder.
However, almost a year later, the Masama-Mmamashia pipeline has since been included in the National Development Plan Mid-term review and adequately budgeted for in the National Development Plan for this new financial year, paving the way for the Water Utilities Corporation to continue where they left off with the winning bidder, Khato Civils, who had beaten the rest of the bidders by being over P 200 million cheaper.
Besides the delays of almost a year, the contractor also had to suffer the inconvenience of having their P100 million held in a Water Utilities bank account and out of reach during all this time, after they were obligated to pay the huge sum into government coffers as part of accepting the offer for the Masama-Mmamashia pipeline project.
However, being the large scale contractor that they were, Khato Civils had since been busy with other large scale projects in South Africa including a power station upgrade in Cape Town, double decker bridge repair project on M1 road in Johannesburg, housing and sanitation projects in Polokwane and Hammanskraal, amongst others.
Meanwhile, Minister Mzwinila also told Parliament that the Masama-Mmamashia pipeline has always been part of the NSC 2.2 components which are, Palapye Mahalapye pipeline, Mahalapye Masama pipeline, and the Masama Mmamashia pipeline.
Other components of the NSC 2.2 are expansion of Palapye, Mahalapye , and Mmamashia treatment plants, as well as constructions of pump stations at Palapye and Serorome, construction of break pressure tank at Tewane, and construction of raw water tanks at Mahalapye and Mmamashia.
Mzwinila however says the NSC 1 and NSC 2 will not be enough to quench the thirst for southern Botswana, as a third pipeline will still be required to sustain the water demand of southern Botswana up to the year 2030, while a fourth pipeline will be required from 2030 onwards to cater for the projected demand in the southern part of Botswana.
Mooted projects include the Chobe water trànsfer scheme, the Lesotho water transfer scheme and the possibility of desalination of Namibia’s sea water.