28 Aug 2013

The North South Carrier (NSC) pipelines, which draw water from Letsibogo Dam to Gaborone and the surrounding areas are still vandalised despite acute shortage of water faced by areas in the south.

Water Utilities Corporation official, Mr Ketlhomphilwe Moiteelasilo said in a kgotla meeting at Madiaela near Radisele that unscrupulous people vandalised the pipeline the past weekend in Madiaela resulting in loss of large volumes of water enough to feed Palapye for two weeks.

Mr Moiteelasilo said the problem caused the corporation to drain water occupying 18km of the pipeline in order to fix the vandalised area which resulted in the corporation incurring the cost of over P100 000.

He said the corporation suspects that farmers in the area could have vandalised the pipes so as to get the opportunity to water their livestock.

He said words ‘Re ja ngwana re ja metsi a Letsibogo, mo Madiaela ga gona metsi. Keep it flowing’ were written. Mr Moiteelasilo said the corporation had to temporarily close down the valves thus disrupting water flow to the south.

He said the corporation was concerned about continuous vandalism of the pipeline, adding that the problem was common in the area between Botswana International University of Science and technology (BIUST) and Radisele.

He warned that the corporation had engaged the police to assist them with investigations, adding that recently some members of the public suspected to have caused a similar problem near Makoro were arrested.

Mr Moiteelasilo further said the NSC also supplied water to the south because of acute shortage of water as result of low water levels at Gaborone and Bokaa dams.

Gaborone dam in particular, he said is at 19 per cent level as such the area relied on the NSC for water supply from Letsibogo dam.

He said therefore that disruption of water flow denied people in the south access to water which may also affect the economy of this country.

He also called on Madiaela residents to partner with the corporation and help address the problem.

Another WUC official, Mr Gosalamang Ramabe said the corporation is aware of acute shortage of water in Radisele, Mogome and Mokgware.

Mr Ramabe said the corporation is working tirelessly to ensure that the areas receive water by bowsing water in the affected areas including schools but it is unfair for people to keep vandalising the pipeline in order to fetch water.

For his part Madiaela resident, Mr Mosimanegape Makoloi said vandalism of NSC started four years ago but was later exacerbated by the closure of the borehole in Madiaela which fed Madiaela and areas in the periphery.

Mr Joseph Mafote also shared the same sentiments said until the corporation help with the operation of Madiaela borehole, vandalism will keep occurring.

He said Madiaela residents are in need of water due to a shortage of water caused by the closure of the borehole.

Kgosi Christian Ntebele expressed his disappointments over the sentiments shared by the two residents saying “two wrongs cannot make a right.”

Mr Ntebele said this reflected lack of responsibility and accountability on the two youth, adding that Madiaela is a ploughing area not a cattle post therefore watering livestock is uncalled for.

Efforts to contact Palapye police superintendent Mr Franken Mohutsiwa were futile as his phone rang unanswered. ENDS