Debswana quenches Maboane

Lebogang Baingapi | Wednesday September 13, 2017 16:32

The two projects that were recently handed over by the general manager, Albert Milton will improve water supply to the village as well as Dutlwe and Takatokwane.

The village has been experiencing shortage of water due to poor pressure and a small reservoir that serviced the village, which has increased in population over the past years.  Kgosi Kaisara Phuthego explained that water supply has been a challenge and they could go for days without a drop. He said Maboane is surrounded by water wells and was grateful for the electrification of the pump station that will also assist in quick supply and distribution of water to the community.  He said the water shortage had also brought theft of water and cables from the Jwaneng Mine wellfields at Magagarape.

For his part the Milton noted that, although there is generally global water shortage, Jwaneng Mine could not ignore the reality that Maboane people do not have access to water and through showing that they care, they constructed the project. “We were also alive to the fact that access to clean fresh water is essential to human life, yet the world over, the important resource is scarce.  Currently research has shown that 1.1 billion people do not have access to clean water and projection is that two-thirds of the world may face water shortage by 2025 due to climate change and pollution. “This really compelled us to manage the resource by coming up with community-led initiatives to save water and protect projects donated by Jwaneng Mine and many other institutions,” Milton said. He further noted that Jwaneng Mine sources water from Magagarape and it was only befitting that they partner with other stakeholders and Maboane, which is the closest village and co-address the water shortage issue.

Milton also advised the residents to jealously guard and evangelise the optimal use of water and condemn wastage of any drop of this precious resource. The chief executive officer of Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) Mmetla Masire acknowledged the gesture extended by Jwaneng Mine to assist the corporation on its mission to supply portable water to communities. He said WUC currently has a burden to supply 540 villages with clean water and what Jwaneng Mine did was an outstanding job worth commending. “We must admit that we are challenged as a corporation and we are normally in a frying pan when it comes to water distribution. We are grateful for Jwaneng Mine because water is a necessity, it’s not a luxury,” noted Masire.