01 Jun 2016

The Member of Parliament for Takatokwane constituency, Mr Ngaka Ngaka said he is concerned at the rate at which residents of Maboane vandalise standpipes in the village, which escalates the already existing challenge of water shortage.

Addressing residents during  a kgotla meeting on Tuesday, Mr Ngaka informed them that he has discussed the issue of water shortage in the area with the Water Utilities Corporation, where he was unfortunately informed that residents have a visible hand in exacerbating the situation.

He said the corporation explained that residents have a tendency of opening up manholes along the water lines that lead to the village to water their cattle, which ultimately affects the water flow to the village. 

He said since these manholes are located along the old gravel road that leads to the village, it is not easy for other people to spot them when they are opened.

“The other challenge is that of vandalism of standpipes. This year alone WUC replaced batteries for prepaid standpipes in the village two times, and each time the batteries were stolen again,” he said.

He said this then gobbles the funds that the corporation could be using to reticulate water to new plots in the village. He said this year alone the corporation has already spent P20 000 to repair vandalised standpipes in Maboane alone, while the costs run at P285 000 for the whole constituency.

Mr Ngaka therefore urged the residents to desist from such behavior as WUC could not  always police the standpipes and manholes. 

He however, informed them that Debswana is sponsoring an ongoing project of connecting and electrifying one borehole in the area as well as fitting a larger capacity tank in the village at a cost of P4.5 million, which is expected to ease the water challenge in the village. Mr Ngaka also informed them that the issue of the clinic that was promised the village many years back is still being discussed with the minister of health. 

He said currently the clinic is not among the projects that would be done through the Economic Stimulus Programme, saying the exclusion might be because the supposed clinic was to be sponsored by Debswana.

He conceded that most health facilities in the area could withstand the demand as they were constructed just post-independence era, which led to government deciding to upgrade all health post to clinics.

Mr Ngaka was responding after Kgosi Kaisara Phuthego complained that his village lags behind others of its size in developments, citing the long promised clinic.

Kgosi Phuthego said the clinic was promised his village way back in 2014, but that currently there is no solid explanation on its whereabouts. Ends