20 Feb 2017

Parliamentarians have unanimously approved a motion by Member of Parliament for Gaborone Central, Dr Phenyo Butale requesting government to re-introduce the service of emptying pit-latrines.

The motion debated on Friday, also asked government to cover costs of connecting households to sewerage system as a way of eradicating pit-latrines. Dr Butale said thousands of households are still using pit-latrines in Gaborone as high connection fees make it difficult for many families to connect to the sewerage system.

The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) legislator explained that low income areas in cities and towns face a challenge of overflowing pit-latrines that has led to environmental sanitation problems as households struggle to pay fees charged by private companies.

"The World Health Organisation (WHO) has indicated that diarrhoea kills about 1.5 million children every year worldwide, therefore this is an urgent motion that Parliament must adopt,” Dr Butale said. However, the Assistant Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Itumeleng Moipisi, said government had not stopped emptying pit latrines and septic tanks.

“The emptying of pit latrines was transferred from local authorities to my ministry, and we have subsidised fees for emptying pit-latrines and septic tanks. Water Utilities Corporation charges P500 and P400 (respectively) for pit-latrines and septic tanks,” Mr Moipisi said, explaining that it was a reduction of P100 for the two services.

He encouraged people to connect their homes to the sewerage systems, adding that the ultimate aim is to eradicate pit latrines.

MP for Francistown West, Mr Mokwaledi Moswaane insisted that the service of emptying pit-latrines had been stopped by government contrary to claims by the assistant minister. He said many poor people in low income locations in

Francistown could not afford connection services to the sewerage system and were still using pit-latrines and ‘Water Utilities Corporation does not empty them.’

"Monarch has a population of around 20 000, and it was serviced in 2006, but few people have connected to the system. My suggestion is that government should allow people to connect for free to sewerage system and recover the money later," the legislator said.

Commenting to the debate, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse, MP for Selebi Phikwe West, said poverty levels had rendered many people incapable of connecting their homes to the sewerage system; therefore the emptying of pit-latrines by government should be re-introduced.

MP for Gaborone North, Mr Haskins Nkaigwa called for the eradication of pit-latrines in Gaborone. He said a special fund should be introduced to assist people in low income locations to connect to the sewerage system.

MP for Francistown East, Mr Buti Billy said a lot of money had been spent on providing sewerage infrastructure in various low income areas therefore a deliberate plan should be devised to assist people to connect to this infrastructure.

Francistown South legislator, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi said various low income locations in the second city have turned into an eye-sore due to overflowing and stinking pit latrines. “Private companies charge people exorbitant prices.

We don't want people to contract diseases as a result of living in unhygienic environmental conditions," he said.

Legislators from the political divide in Parliament supported the motion. However, Specially Elected MP, Mr Mephato Reatile opposed the motion, saying it was proposing something which government was already doing. BOPA