The Minister of Lands and Water Affairs, Kefentse Mzwinila, has disclosed that the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) has terminated water supply to over 5,000 homes in the Jwaneng Mabutsane constituency due to a debt exceeding P11 million.
Similar to challenges faced in various constituencies nationwide, Mzwinila emphasised that WUC encountered difficulties with customers neglecting their water bill payments. Despite offering a waiver, the only viable solution to curb the escalating bill from the people of Jwaneng Mabutsane was to disconnect the water supply to these homes.
“A total of 5,071 plots have been disconnected in the Jwaneng-Mabutsane constituency from 2019 to date. Still, with this, during the State of Public Emergency (SPE) and the four-month grace period after the SPE, no disconnections were effected. The WUC commenced disconnections in February 2022,” he stated.
Mzwinila further disclosed that the outstanding amount owed to WUC by the disconnected customers in the Jwaneng Mabutsane constituency has reached over P11 million. “The total outstanding amount owed to WUC by disconnected customers for the Jwaneng Mabutsane constituency is P11,138,914.28 from the times the homes were disconnected,” Mzwinila informed Parliament.
He pointed out that during the State of Public Emergency, most homes were reconnected to the water supply. However, after the four months provided to settle their dues, customers failed to make payments, resulting in a substantial outstanding amount.
The minister encouraged customers whose homes were disconnected to settle the outstanding balances owed to WUC and restore water connections in their homes.
Mzwinila was responding to a question from MP for Jwaneng-Mabutsane Mephato Reatile, who had requested him to brief Parliament on house water supply in his area.
