27 Jul 2017

Member of Parliament for Shashe West, Mr Fidelis Molao says three boreholes in Goshwe have been equipped and would be connected to electricity to supply Marapong and Semitwe with water.

Speaking at a meeting with Shashe West constituents that reside in Gaborone and surrounding villages recently, Mr Molao said it was public knowledge that the two villages had been suffering the most in the Sebina cluster with regard to water shortage.

He noted that the Sebina cluster included villages such as Marobela, Marapong, Semitwe, Mathangwane and Sebina, adding that they all received their water from the Maitengwe boreholes.

Mr Molao also noted that the boreholes had not been able to keep up with demand and that they keep breaking down.

“The problem is that the population has grown in the area and the storage tanks are also not sufficient,” said Mr Molao, adding that “with Marapong and Semitwe at the end of the supply chain, they are affected the most.”

The MP also said the three boreholes were a short-term solution, but that they would go a long way in addressing the severe water shortage.

Mr Molao said for the long-term solution to the water shortage, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development had been given the green light to source a loan in order to construct water infrastructure that would connect about 54 villages in the Shashe West constituency to the Ntimbale Dam.

“This has been agreed and signed and the project has been allocated more than P200 million to construct pump stations. The process to design the whole scheme has started and by the 2018/2019 financial year, we will have made headway and people will see water supply improving,” said Mr Molao.

He said the project would supply the North East District and part of Tutume Sub-district.

On health developments in his constituency for NDP 11, Mr Molao said Semitwe would get a clinic without a maternity ward and that Sebina would have its clinic upgraded to a primary hospital.

He added that Borolong would also have its clinic upgraded to include a maternity ward, and that Mathangwane would have its clinic upgraded although it already has a maternity ward.

“These upgrades will take place in the 2018/2019 financial year,” he said.

Mr Molao, who is also Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, noted that copies of NDP 11 were available for the public. He urged his constituents to get copies so that they should see what developments would be coming to their area. He vowed to continue to interact with constituents so that information could be passed to them. ENDS