22 Jun 2021

 North East District Council (NEDC) chairperson, Ms Florah Mpetsane, says a water distribution network from Ntimbale Dam continues to experience breakdowns.

Speaking during a full council meeting in Masunga on Monday, Councillor Mpetsane stated that the breakdowns had resulted in some villages experiencing acute water shortage.

She noted that Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) was attending to the breakdowns.

Moreover, she said assessments and rectifications were done on the ongoing North East and Tutume Sub-district water project scheme, which was expected to address water woes in the district.

Councillor Mpetsane highlighted that the water project scheme was at 61 per cent completion status with completion of the whole project scheduled for August 2021.

She urged the corporation to implore project management strategies that would ensure the project was completed within the stipulated time and met all quality assurance controls.

The council chairperson said the eastern region villages would continue to experience water rationing and bowsing while awaiting completion of the project.

The villages on the eastern side, she added, had been acutely affected by water shortage compared to those in the western side.

Councillor Mpetsane said the North East District Council and Central Transport Organisation had released their trucks to supply villages on the eastern side with water.

She further noted that Moroka borehole, which was recently equipped with electricity, had been reserved to supply bowsers assigned to nearby villages while other bowsers collected water in Francistown.

Cllr Mpetsane also raised a concern over customers who failed to pay their water consumption bills since that crippled the corporation’s coffers.

The chairperson said the decision to reconnect all customers and halt further disconnections aimed at ensuring water availability to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through continuous washing of hands.

She said failure to pay bills had led to exponential increase in both domestic and business debt since it exceeded P18 million with domestic consumption contributing over 70 per cent.

Cllr Mpetsane indicated that the corporation had therefore resolved to appoint external debt collectors to assist in the recovery of the outstanding debts, adding that customers were given a 30 days’ notice, starting June 1 to pay their outstanding debts or enter into payment plans to avoid inconveniences. Ends