16 Oct 2017

Assistant minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Thato Kwerepe has expressed disappointment in some residents of Ngami, who continue to vandalise water pipes to water livestock.

Mr Kwerepe expressed the concern during a kgotla meeting after some residents of Sehithwa complained about acute water shortage and high water bills.

He admitted that he received complaints from residents about shortage of water, but explained that Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) had been experiencing challenges of pipe leakages in some settlements around Sehithwa and appealed to the public to stop the practice.

He said such vandalism had resulted in severe water shortage in some villages, adding that it was also costly for the corporation to repair the pipes.

The corporation, he said, used expensive materials to ensure water supply improvements in the villages.

“WUC officials had taken me around to appreciate wasted water due to vandalism of pipes and the situation was disturbing as we found cattle drinking from them,” he revealed.

Mr Kwerepe informed residents that the corporation’s mandate was to provide potable water to the communities, not to water livestock.

He also hailed residents of Sehithwa for making efforts to pave a way for the construction of a service centre in their village.

He said their efforts indicated that they desperately needed the centre.

He said the centre had long been approved and wondered why it was taking long to be constructed.

He called upon the office of the district commissioner to open an office in Sehithwa with immediate effect so that residents’ complaints could be addressed on time.

Earlier on, Kgosi Boitiro Dithapo of Sehithwa told the assistant minister that since they had a plot for the service centre, residents agreed to do the bush clearing at the site with the hope that relevant authorities would act promptly on  the project.

He said efforts were made to meet with the district commissioner and council secretary and requested assistance of graters to make the cut lines at the plot.

He said the said officials also toured the site to appreciate it.

He also complained about the kgotla office, which he said was in a bad condition, adding that the fence was down.

He also wanted to know projects earmarked for Sehithwa under Economic Stimulus Programme.

Village Development Committee vice chairperson, Ms Emang Goitsemang appreciated Poverty Eradication progarmme in the village, but indicated that it had not benefited residents.

She explained that most beneficiaries were assisted with small stock under LIMID progarmme, but all the animals died due to the recent stable fly (lethobo) outbreak.

She requested government to consider assisting the beneficiaries again as currently they were struggling to make end meets.

Ms Goitsemang also complained about the bad status of Ngami Junior Secondary School, noting that some buildings were old and had no windows and locks.

She also requested that the school be upgraded to be a Unified School jlike the one built in Tsabong. ENDS