14 Feb 2019

Assistant Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services Mr Itumeleng Moipisi says water supply interruption in the Nkange constituency villages that occurred in December 2018 were due to pipe blockages.

Mr Moipisi was responding to a question from the MP for Nkange, Mr Edwin Batshu in Parliament on Tuesday.

He said the pipe blockages were created by calcrete siltation, pipe mains failure and BPC power outages, adding that the long term solution to addressing water insecurity in the Tutume Sub- district include connecting the constituency to Ntimbale Dam through the North East District-Tutume Sub-district water supply project.

Mr Moipisi elaborated that the design stage for the project was completed in December 2018 and tender documentation for construction was finalised in January.

Further, the assistant minister said Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) had a restructuring project that had been going on for over two years, commencing September 2016 and expected to end November this year.

He restructuring, Mr Moipisi explained, would ensure the correct job fit/match improve core processes and have a more customer centric organisation.

In addition, he noted the implementation of the new structure had commenced and therefore some people would be retrenched.

However, he said the number of employees would not change significantly as WUC’s objective was not to reduce numbers.

The assistant minister pointed out that the said water shortages could not be associated with acts of sabotage by the corporation employees since the causes of water shortages could not be influenced by corporation employees.

MP Batshu had enquired on reasons for the acute water shortage in the Nkange constituency, particularly in Tutume, Matobo, Goshwe, Senete and other villages during the past festive season.

He also wanted the minister to confirm if there was a looming retrenchment at WUC and if there was sabotage as a result of inherent disgruntlement in the organisation. ENDS