04 Apr 2016

Old Kazungula/ Lesoma councillor Mr Patrick Majola has complained about shortage of water in his ward and the discoloured brown state of the water when it becomes available.

Speaking during a full council meeting on Thursday, councillor Mr Majola said they have been complaining about the water situation for months and there seems to be no improvement. 

He also said the water looks dirty and people always find it hard to use the water for consumption.

“There have always been problems with Water Utilities Corporation when it comes to supplying Kazungula with clean water and people always complain about the colour of the water but nothing is being done about it because every time we complain we are always told that there is a problem with the plant in Kazungula,” he said.

Another councillor Mr Baleofi Disho of Chobe Enclave East complained that villages in his ward were experiencing water shortage which is affecting developments in some of the villages as residents were forced to pay motorists to bring them water. 

Mr Disho further requested the corporation to at least come up with temporary measures that can stabilise the situation.

Addressing complaints from the councillors, Water Utilities Corporations general manager for Kasane, Mr Boitumelo Legwaila said it is due to the flowing of the river that they find it hard to keep the water spotlessly clean, since between February and May that is when the river flows which ends up affecting the quality of water.

“We have three plants between Kazungula and Kasane and these plants need to be changed since they are old, one plant in Kazungula which is a class two water hence the colour,” Mr Legwaila  added. 

He added that two of the other plants do not have purifiers. 

He further said they are trying to come up with an initiative on cleaning these three plants which might take a while leading to shortage of water around Kazungula and Kasane.

Addressing the water shortage issue affecting Chobe west villages Mr Legwaila said they had budgeted for big temporary tanks to help supply water for these villages but they do not have enough funds to solve the issue.

Delivering the full council session speech council chairperson Mr Mwanota Kachana had earlier said that the rise in river levels bought challenges on treatment facilities especially the Kazungula plant and Kasane portable plants as the raw water turbidities were fluctuating due to turbulences. 

Mr Kachana further said “the final turbidities in treated water from these plants were higher than normal and as a result led to complaints from the community especially in Kazungula and Kasane,” he noted. Ends