04 Aug 2019

Assistant Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Itumeleng Moipisi says his ministry is in the process of implementing a motion passed during the 10^th Parliament on the use of prepaid metres. He said the metres would reduce human involvement in metre reading thus reducing human error.

He added that they were currently implementing an automated device management system that was intended to manage all devices including metres at Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) whether post or pre-paid.

The system, he said, was expected to go live by end of December 2019 and that the system would allow for the implementation of pre or post payment at system level, an approach similar to the one used by mobile phone companies.

The assistant minister said the method had been found to be more robust as such payments would be made on account level and would not depend on the type of metre installed, adding that the metre would just remain a water management tool.

Furthermore, he said depending on the successful commissioning of the automated device management system, WUC would roll-out smart metres.

Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi had asked when his ministry would implement a motion passed during the 10^th Parliament which requested the use of prepaid water metres given the number of complaints registered by WUC customers. ENDS