26 May 2021

Dukwi water tank project will reportedly commence sometime between July and September. 

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Dukwi on Monday, Member of Parliament for Nata/Gweta, Mr Polson Majaga said almost all Nata/Gweta villages were faced with water challenges, adding that there had been back and forth issues on commencing the Sowa water master plan, which they are pinning their hopes on to bring the water crisis to an end. 

 He thus said as a starting point of the long term solution, Dukwi tank project was scheduled to start.

He said they would continue to source water from the Dukwi well-fields in the quarantine camp. 

Mr Majaga revealed that the leadership of the area had proposed to have the pipeline tapping from the Marapong pipe, which would soon be getting water from Ntimbale Dam, but they were not successful, as Water Utilities Corporation had promised to build a mini-treatment plant for the well fields water, before it was reticulated to the village and surrounding areas. 

He said they had wanted the water to also come from the dam as they wanted the well fields in the Dukwi quarantine camp to be dedicated to ranches that were still to be allocated. 

He said the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security had acceded to the proposal and they were now awaiting the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services to finalise allocation of the ranches. 

On other updates, Mr Majaga explained that for the 2021/2022 financial year, only the Nata/Maun road would be attended to as it had been allocated funds, though it would be done in phases. 

He pointed out that government intended to do the Francistown/ Nata road, through a partnership with the private sector, the modalities of which were still being discussed. 

He told the residents that the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) abattoir in Francistown was closed for refurbishment, revealling that when it reopened, it would be mainly dedicated to slaughtering small stock. 

He, however, said some cattle would be slaughtered at the abattoir to assist farmers in the Nata/Gweta area and other places in the northern side of the country. Ends