26 Jul 2013

Residents of Ledumang ward in Gaborone North have decried decision by Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) to increase sewerage connection from P300 to P840. 

The residents raised their complaints during a Kgotla meeting on July 24 with their Member of Parliament Mr Keletso Rakhudu that most of them are not able to raise the P840 fee demanded by WUC.

They explained that initially, the fee was P300 before the sewerage connection was transferred from Gaborone City Council to WUC. They said upon taking over the sewerage connection, WUC increased the fee to P840 the move they said was unfair to them because they had a standing agreement with GCC to pay P300.

According to the residents those who have already paid P300 connection fee are now required to top up with P540. They therefore appealed to Mr Rakhudu who is also the assistant minister of Trade and Industry to intervene because they were to pay the P840 fee.  

Meanwhile Mr Rakhudu said he has raised the issue with the management of GCC and has even gone as far as contacting the ministry of Local Government and Rural Development including meeting with the permanent secretary in the ministry of Wildlife, Environment and Tourism to try and resolve the issue amicably.

He advised those who have paid the P300 to GCC for connection to register their names with the Ward Development Committee to establish their numbers so that they could be identified. He observed that it was wrong for the council and WUC to transfer the programme before resolving the problem.

“People had a binding contract with the council and they should be assisted first and what follows should not affect them. If government officialshave made a mistake it should not affect people who have already paid for the service”, he said to the loud applause from the over 70 people who attended the meeting.

Meanwhile Mr Rakhudu briefed residents on the just ended delimitation commission which has redefined some constituencies and council wards and as such called on residents to familarise themselves with the changes.

He also briefed resident on issues which concern youth empowerment and other social services offered by the government as well as efforts made by the government in trying to educate the country by providing the largest share of the national budget to the ministry of Education and Skills Development. ENDS