28 Jun 2020

Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) chief executive officer, Mr Gaselemogwe Senai has urged Batswana to pay their water bills.

Addressing a press conference in Gaborone on June 25, Mr Senai said the corporation heeded President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s call to reconnect water to households which were disconnected due to failure to pay water bills, as water was a key component in combating COVID-19.

The corporation is owed money amounting to over P820 million, which is now becoming a burden to the corporation to continue providing water service, he said.

Batswana, he cautioned, should know that at the end of the State of Public Emergency, WUC would be going back to the normal operations and those customers who had not paid their bills would be disconnected.

Mr Senai said the bulk of the debt, around 70 per cent was from domestic use as compared to commercial use.

He said before the State of Public Emergency, the debt amounted to a billion and went down after some customers settled their bills after disconnections noting that the situation had now taken a reverse.

Mr Senai said the corporation was not spared the COVID-19 consequences as some of their targeted projects for the current financial year were affected.

He said the newly constructed pump stations in Thamaga and Moshupa had been commissioned and were operational, supplying water to Thamaga, Moshupa and Kanye.

The newly appointed CEO said, as for Molepolole, the new pipeline was not yet complete. He however said the situation had slightly improved as water that was serving Thamaga was now going to Molepolole.

He said the corporation also managed to complete the 23 kilometre pipeline from Rasesa to Mmamashia, where the plastic reinforced pipes (PRP) were replaced by the steel pipes.

Introducing the new CEO to members of the media, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Dr Obolokile Obakeng called on the media to give him their maximum support.

Dr Obakeng said WUC managed to rise above the COVID-19 tide by making sure that water was available to all households, including those not on their connection lines.

He said all the initiatives came as a result of Mr Senai’s sound leadership.

Dr Obakeng also called on Batswana to play a vital role in conserving water. ends