01 Sep 2020

Government recognises the role of land, Water and Sanitation programmes and projects in the socio-economic development, particularly with respect to investor facilitation and productivity of key sectors of the economy.

This was said by Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila when presenting the ministry’s NDP 11 Mid-term Review on thematic sectors of Economy and Employment in Parliament on August 31.

He said the ministry continued to receive substantial funding estimated to cost a total P17.9 billion for the entire NDP 11 period.

From this amount, the sum allocated for the period 2020/21 to 2022/23 is P10.2 billion, including activities proposed under the Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan (ERTP).

The budget entails Water Supply Pipelines programme at P4.8 billion, Water Supply and Sanitation Networks at P3.6 billion, Sustainable Land Management at P212.9 million and Land Development Programme at P1.5 billion.

Some of the projects to be undertaken by the ministry under the remaining NDP11 planning period include the land development programme, which entails land acquisition and land servicing projects, aimed at facilitating land allocation.

Major land servicing projects include the Selebi-Phikwe Economic Diversification Unit (SPEDU) and Special Economic Zones Authority projects, which are meant to facilitate investment of the various sectors identified for economic growth and diversification as well as the transformation agenda.

Minister Mzwinila said sustainable land management programme included continuation of the LAPCAS project, development of Gaborone Expansion Master Plan as well as the National Mapping and National Referencing projects.

Mr Mzwinila said facility development projects planned for the remainder of the plan period included construction of land board offices for Letlhakeng, Tsabong and Tawana Land Boards as well as completion of the ongoing construction of Records Centres for 12 land boards / sub-land boards.

Projects under the water supply pipelines entail development of water sources and infrastructure to transfer bulk water from the source to where the water is needed for distribution.

He said the programme spent the largest share of the ministry’s budget since it consisted mostly of the major water transfer schemes.

Mr Mzwinila said during the first half of the plan period, progress had been made in preparing some of the major projects for procurement that include Mmamashia-Gaborone pipelines, Molepolole- Gamononyane, connection of Tswapong South villages to the NSC at Mahalapye and Good Hope Water Master Plan. These projects, he said, were expected to be awarded before December.

Furthermore, he said the ministry would continue with implementation of the last component of the Thune Dam project, being construction of pipelines to connect the remaining five villages of Mothabaneng, Lepokole, Gobojango, Semolale and Mabolwe.

The ministry will continue with implementation of projects supported by the World Bank that included procurement of design consultants for Selebi Phikwe- Serule Water Transfer Scheme and Boteti South Cluster as well as construction of Bere and Kuke potable water projects.

Mr Mzwinila said other ongoing projects that were scheduled to be completed within the second half of the plan period were Kanye sanitation, which entailed development of sanitation infrastructure for Kanye, construction of Shakawe Treatment Plant for supply of potable water to villages of Shakawe, Nxamasere, Samuchima, Mohembo West and Xhaoga.

Furthermore, there will be construction of water treatment plants at Kasane for the supply of Kasane, Kazungula, Lesoma and Chobe Enclave as well as Gumare for the supply of Gumare, Tubu and Etsha.

Mr Mzwinila said the ministry had also come up with an initiative to carry out in-house drilling and maintenance of boreholes instead of outsourcing the services in an effort to reduce costs.

Still under sanitation, he said the ministry had commenced the procurement process for Lobatse and Gaborone water master plans as well as Moshupa sanitation with the intention to commence works before the end of the current financial year.

He also said the Gaborone Water Master Plan also addressed water challenges in the Mochudi area. Ends