23 Mar 2020

North West District Commissioner, Mr Keolopile Leipego says shortage of water in Ngami should not be an excuse or hindrance to adhering to precaution measures against Coronavirus as the government was doing something to address the issue.

Responding to some concerns raised by church leaders during a recent consultative meeting with Minister’s Fraternal in Maun on the district’s response to the threatening pandemic, Mr Leipego implored churches to fully implement safety measures  to curb the spread of the virus.  

Some leaders indicated that shortage of water that had crippled the village of Maun might frustrate government efforts to control the spread of the pandemic. 

They argued that while one of the measures encouraged members of the community to wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap, severe water shortage was a challenge noting that some households spent months without water while some had been disconnected by the water utilities corporation.

He explained that the government had introduced measures under the Public Health Act of 2013 in order to contain the threat hence the need to adhere to the precaution measures.

Churches were encouraged to ensure amenities such as wash basins or wash points were installed at their premises to facilitate prevention.

But, Mr Leipego explained that the government was aware of the situation on the ground and stressed that efforts were ongoing to address the issue of water shortage in Maun.

He cited the Maun water supply and sanitation Phase II project, adding that the first phase of the project had kicked-off and it was expected to improve access to potable water and sanitation services in Maun as well as its outlying satellite villages.

The project has been allocated to four contractors for easy management and the first contractor would focus on the design, supply and building of water distribution network, sanitation reticulation, telemetry, SCADA and other associated works.

The District Commissioner appealed to church leaders to be at the forefront of the implementation of the measures, adding that they should give the COVID-19 information the widest publicity.

Mr Leipego said they should share the information with members of their congregations and also come up with emergency plans to cope the coronavirus.

Deputy district commissioner, Ms Goitseone Nkwe-Tabane shared the measures in place to prevent transmission of the coronavirus and urged church leaders to apply what the government had imposed as the aim was to save lives.

She said suspending public gatherings was not a punishment hence the consultative engagement with them to appreciate government efforts and map the way forward.

There were mixed feelings with regard to church conferences/seminars usually held during Easter Holidays as some wanted to know if they would be able to host them. 

Ms Nkwe-Tabane explained that religious activities had been included in the total suspension of public gathering which meant that evening prayers and all night prayers had to be suspended or to limit the number to ensure they do not exceed the set number of 10.

In addition, she told them that government had advised the public to reduce non-essential local travel in order to minimise the risk of contracting and possible spread of coronavirus.

She said some churches had already responded positively and cancelled their annual conferences.

With regard to registration of cattle for slaughter for funerals and wedding celebrations, she explained that tribal leaders should look into the matter because registering the cattle encouraged gatherings or celebrations. Ends