03 Dec 2020

Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila says the Gumare sewerage ponds are operating at 10 per cent of their full capacity as a result of inadequate flows caused by limited water supply in the village. 

Mr Mzwinila said the sewage ponds treated wastewater collected from the Gumare central sewer system before discharging it to the environment in a safe manner. He, however, said with the anticipated completion of the Gumare water treatment plant in January 2021, the facility would be optimally used. 

He said the sewerage ponds project were constructed with the provision of a perimeter fence and electric fence to deter any form of vandalism from both domestic and wild animals. 

He noted that the electric fence protection was not adequate, saying it was evidenced by damage by elephants. Mr Mzwinila said there was progress in attending to the issue of accessibility of the sewage ponds by animals by constructing approximately 1 200 metres long and three metres wide elephant spikes on concrete around the sewerage ponds. 

He said Water Utilities Corporation had started doing the project in-house and had covered 23 per cent. 

To expedite the works, Mr Mzwinila said the project had been outsourced as labour only. “Quotations have been sourced from local contractors for constructing the elephant deterrent spikes (buffer) and subsequently a normal fence will be constructed,” he said. 

He said the project was scheduled to be awarded in December 2020, with March 2021 as the completion date at a total cost of P3 million. He said it was expected that after completion, the sewage ponds would be secured from vandalism by elephants, and that access to the facility by domesticated animals would be contained.

The MP for Ngami, Mr Caterpillar Hikuama wanted to know if the minister was aware of the deplorable state of the Gumare sewage ponds.

He said the ponds had turned into a community health hazard and death trap to both domestic and wild animals in the area. 

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