08 Aug 2019

The Assistant Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Itumeleng Moipisi, has informed Parliament that construction of the Molepolole bound North South Water Carrier Project is expected to be concluded by end of November and the handover is scheduled for mid-January 2020.

Mr Moipisi told Parliament on August 5 that construction works were scheduled to take 24 months and that the project was to be undertaken with a planned early benefit for Molepolole in the first 18 months and Thebephatshwa BDF camp connection finishing in 24 months.

He said by the end of this month, water supply for Molepolole would increase because the 3000cubic metres/day of water supplying Thamaga from Molepolole would be discontinued.

“My ministry is currently testing and commissioning the Mmamashia-Kanye NSC connection project that will supply Thamaga with water,” he said.

He said Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) was implementing the design and build of Malwelwe-Molepolole water project funded by World Bank loan.

Mr Moipisi said the project entailed equipping and electrifying six new boreholes, construction of interconnection pipelines, upgrading of Malwelwe booster pump station, construction of 32km transfer pipeline from Malwelwe booster pump station to Gaotlhobogwe Water Treatment Plant as well as refurbishments and upgrades of pumps at  Gaotlhobogwe plant.

He said the estimated construction cost for implementing the project was about P100 million and that advertisement for pre-qualification of the bidders was expected to be issued by end of this month.

Mr Moipisi said the procurement of design and build contractor for World Bank funded project had to be done in three stages being pre-qualification, technical and financial stages.

The whole procurement process, according to Mr Moipisi, was expected to be completed by March 2020 while the project duration for implementing design and construction was estimated to be 12 months.

He said the awarded design and build contractor was expected to commence works in June 2020 and complete by June 2021.

He was answering a question asked by Molepolole South MP, Dr Tlamelo Mmatli, who wanted to know as to when the construction of the Molepolole bound North South Water Carrier Project would resume.

Dr Mmatli also wanted to know  when such work was envisaged to be complete and if water would be available for consumption in Molepolole in the meantime.

He further asked when the rehabilitation of Malwelwe boreholes would be completed.ENDS