06 Aug 2020

 Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) principal commercial services officer in Serowe, Ms Tebogo Matswelenyane said the corporation was owed  P29 million in Serowe.

Speaking at a two-day workshop in Serowe on Wednesday, Ms Matswelenyane  urged Batswana to pay their water bills to enable the corporation to continue providing water services.

She said half of the debt was from domestic use, followed by government institutions, businesses and the council.

She said before the State of Public Emergency, the debt amounted to millions, but reduced after some customers settled their bills after disconnections, noting, however, that the situation was reversed when the corporation heeded President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s call to reconnect water to households, as water was a key component in combating COVID-19.

“Batswana should know that at the end of the State of Public Emergency, WUC will be going back to its normal operations and those customers who owe will be disconnected,” she cautioned.

Ms Matswelenyane said water infrastructure and the process of purifying water were expensive, therefore WUC needed the money to help in that regard.

She said the corporation was not spared the COVID-19 consequences, hence some of its targeted projects for the current financial year were affected.

Despite the challenges, she said all hope was not lost since they had requested for more bowsers so that they could easily service affected villages.

The participants expressed concern about late attendance of leakages, which they said attracted livestock into the village, while some requested WUC to take stern measures against those who watered livestock from potable water points and pleaded for teamwork among stakeholders.

Participants then toured the Serowe sewage ponds and Palapye treatment plant. 

The workshop was attended by Serowe Sub-district councillors and dikgosi from various villages around Serowe. Ends