Morupisi confirms Presidential Directive for Masama project
Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Friday August 23, 2019 13:32
In an interview with Mmegi at his office, the PSP said taking the project to Parliament for inclusion in the NDP11, and for approval of its expenditure, was a normal process in the implementation of a Presidential directive. He added that there were several other similar emergency projects that were also submitted to pass through Parliament, which he argued, was a normal process.
However, the PSP said while Parliament has rejected the inclusion of the Masama 100km project in the NDP11 and for funding, it has to be understood that the tender award for the project still stood as Parliament did not have the powers to adjudicate or cancel tender awards.
Morupisi said the failure of the project to go through Parliament has shocked everyone, even himself, as no one saw it coming, especially considering the dire water stress in the greater Gaborone.
He admitted that emergency projects like Masama would usually see the President taking a decision to implement on urgency and later go to Parliament for retroactive approval. He explained that in this particular instance, since Parliament was still on, they decided it would be an easy job to get it passed through Parliament and then implemented urgently.
“To vary plans in NDP11, after Cabinet blessing, we take them to Parliament. We do it all the time. It is not something new. People should understand that,” Morupisi stressed.
On the water situation in both the southern parts of the country and greater Gaborone, Morupisi described the current situation as dire and desperate.
“The situation is so desperate, we cannot just sit back, as an alternative plan would have to be found as a matter of urgency”. Morupisi, asserted that technocrats would reflect on the matter and come up with a solution since sitting back was not an option.
“People do not have enough water,. It’s almost no water because rationing, which has already started is not a working solution. The situation in southern (Botswana) and greater Gaborone areas is dire. Remember this part of the country has not had rains in the last two years, meaning boreholes have not recharged hence they are stressed. ”
Regarding whether the Masama 100km can still be done under the circumstances, the PSP explained that the project was not was rejected but rather its inclusion in the development plan and the proposed funding model. “The project is there, and its tender award is still there, you ought to remember that”.
Morupisi further said when the matter came to Cabinet, it was adequately shown that of all the available options, the Masama 100km project would be the ideal relief since it could be completed in less than 12 months while the other project, being the north-south water carrier 2.2, which involves pulling the pipeline from Palapye to Gaborone, would take about four years to complete and consequently more expensive than the estimated P900 million for the Masama 100km.