29 Apr 2018

Assistant Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Itumeleng Moipisi has called for cooperation between community associations.

He said most of the community associations were dysfunctional and marred with endless battles.

He said this during the handover of a community borehole at Monong recently. He encouraged residents to work as a team for the growth of their community.

Mr Moipisi said Kgalagadi North villages faced water shortage for their livestock, noting that government had taken it upon itself to assist constituents by surveying boreholes within 20km radius of the village.

He said some efforts have hit a snag as it was found that the water was contaminated while others had low yields as well as high yields of salt.

So far, he said Tshane and Lehututu community boreholes had been connected, and that the exercise would be rolled out to other villages.

Mr Moipisi, who is also area Member of Parliament, highlighted that lack of portable water had adverse effects such as low uptake of poverty eradication programmes.

He said the community borehole would assist in closing existing gaps as more people would come on board to utilise government programmes.

He encouraged the community to take care of the borehole as well as to have a constitution that would permit for the smooth operation of the borehole.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Donald Moletle appreciated the community borehole, saying they would be able to raise the farming bar high.

Giving the overview of the project, acting district agricultural coordinator, Mr Sebopeng Resheng said shortage of animal water had been a burning issue in the area, and that it was through the intervention of the Office of the President that a special task team was assigned to identify boreholes that could be connected to assist communities.

He said government injected over P400 000 in the connection of the community borehole.

Furthermore, he noted that Monong had a cattle population of about 2 000 that needed about 80 000 litres of water s.

Mr Resheng was optimistic that since the community had access to portable water for their animals, there would be an increase in animal production that could aid to sustain production at Botswana Meat Commission.

For his part, Mr Kenny Gaboiphewe from the Department of Water Affairs enlightened residents on water rights and urged them to practise water management so as to safeguard water for the coming generations, and for them to continue the legacy of animal production.

He also encouraged them to keep away their cattle from the borehole as their urine contained high nitrates which could contaminate underground water

Hydrocon Green internal sales supervisor, Mr Lefika Mokweto said the borehole would be operated using solar energy to reduce the chances of underground water pollution.

He said the borehole would yield about 7 000 litres per hour and that it has a reservoir with a carrying capacity of about 96 000 litres coupled with two 50m x 50m cattle troughs. ENDS