15 Oct 2014

The North-South Water Carrier project contractor, BSZ Joint Venture, has been warned to deliver the connection of the Kanye-Mmamashia water line within time, budget and specifications.

Speaking during the commissioning of the project in Kanye recently, the Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources (MEWR), Mr Kitso Mokaila said completing the project on time would cut unnecessary cost overruns.

Mr Mokaila said the project, which was awarded on August 5 this year, would cost government over P 700 million and run for 30 months.  He said his ministry had opened a project management office to facilitate the smooth running of the multimillion project, adding that a 40 per cent stake would be enjoyed by local contractors.

“The pipe should reach Moshupa by August 2016 and Kanye by February 2017,” said Mr Mokaila. He also explained that the newly equipped Selokolela borehole had increased water supply in the Kanye /Moshupa area.

He said Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) supplied 12 million litres of water per day to the population of 67 000 against the demand of 101/2 million litres. The minister said the project would put paid to water shortage concerns in the district, adding that WUC would continue rationing the resource in the meantime.

He has also urged Batswana to utilise water sparingly saying 30 per cent of water was regrettably lost through either misuse or leakages. As such consumers were advised to refrain from vandalising water infrastructure to create illegal water points for their animals.

Mr Mokaila has nonetheless dismissed as untrue some views that the ceremony was only a political ploy by the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) to lure votes for the coming general elections.

He said the project had always been in the National Water Master Plan (NWMP) which was crafted in 1990. Mr Mokaila has also promised Kanye residents that the water connection backlog would eventually be eradicated.

A resident, Ms Oshala Matsime complained that WUC did not attend to water leakages around the village even when they were reported. Mr Radikokwana Maswabi on the other hand raised a concern that many Batswana across the country did not have access to clean drinking water. ENDS