Water crisis at Matshekge Hill School

CALISTUS KOLANTSHO
Correspondent | Friday February 25, 2011 00:00

The leader of the demonstrators, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, said the water situation at the school is bad as there is always inadequate water.

He explained that the situation is worse because it is a boarding school and students have to fend for themselves when the water bowser does not deliver water. He said that although they wrote to the relevant authorities in October last year, the problem is yet to be addressed.

'We reiterate our displeasure regarding the deplorable conditions we live under. We have said before that we are a population of close to 2000 and it is difficult to survive without water,' he said.

He said they have resorted to demonstrating after several consultations and communication to different offices including the Bobirwa MP's office yielded no result. He pointed out that it is disappointing to realise that there seems to be no permanent solution to their problem.

He said that access to water is a universal human right and added that the situation has affected their health, welfare and even their performance in the workplace.

'The shortage of water has gravely affected the academic projects of students, especially in the Department of Agriculture.

The department is hard hit because part of its assessment is pivotally dependent on availability of water. In some rare instances when water is provided by a water bowser, students are disadvantaged as they are told that they must water goats and plants with it,' he said.

'The council is aware of the situation at the school and even suggested that we should distinguish between supply and distribution.

The council went on to highlight that interruption in our system is one of the factors that often leads to water shortage.

One wonders why standpipes would run dry for the same duration in which the school reservoir is empty,' he said.He said if the council has not responded to their demands within two weeks they will seek the intervention of a higher authority.

Bobirwa Senior Assistant District Officer, John Baitsing who accepted the petition on behalf of the council secretary said he would forward the petition to the relevant office. He also promised the Matshekge staff that he would also advise the council secretary to respond within the stipulated time period.