16 Oct 2016

Deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Thatayaone Dedede says there is need to construct more sewerage treatment facilities in the country.
Giving a presentation during the ministry’s 11th Leadership Forum in Palapye on October 12, Mr Dedede said his ministry is faced with a problem of inadequate sewerage treatment facilities, adding that major villages such as Kanye and Molepolole need such infrastructure.
He said Water Utilities Corporation is currently ferrying sewerage waste from Letlhakane to Serowe because there is no sewerage treatment facility in that area.
He said on the other hand industries run the risk of polluting dam water as they fail to pre-treat waste before reaching the treatment facility.
He called for proper enforceable laws to protect this infrastructure, adding that once the dam water is polluted it is highly expensive to treat it.
Mr Dedede said it is important to go into integrated planning with the land board and other stakeholders involved in issues of land management.
He said sometimes people or companies build big infrastructure that attracts a high number of people yet the water infrastructure in that area is too small to support such a high population.
On the issue of vandalism of water infrastructure, he said North South Carrier is prone to vandalism leading to water shortage due to the disruption of the system.
He said vandalism does not only disrupt the system, but can lead to contamination of water.
Mr Dedede also decried the challenge of dilapidated infrastructure, saying “our infrastructure is old and no longer coping with the demand.”
He said since the demand for water is high, there is need to look for other avenues to attract other sources of funding such as the private sector, not necessarily from government.
For his part, Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) CEO, Mr Reginald Motswaiso said all government housing implementation programmes have been transferred to BHC.
He said BHC is expected to build 1500 Self Help Housing Agency (SHAA) turnkey houses under the Economic Stimulus Programme. He said the houses have been standardised to 49.2 square meters.
He said under the Public Officers Housing, BHC has been assigned to build 540 houses of 53 square metres.
The houses will be built in Kweneng, North West, Kgatleng, Kgalagadi, Ghanzi, Chobe and Central districts. The cost of the house ranges between P156 000 and P190 000. ENDS