24 Jun 2021

The ongoing North East and Tutume water scheme project is reported to be at 75 per cent progress status against the expected 84 per cent.

The Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila, who toured the P250 million water project on Tuesday, emphasised the need for contractors to complete works on time.

During the tour, Minister Mzwinila was accompanied by the Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe, Minister of Basic Education, Mr Fidelis Molao, MP for Tati West, Mr Simon Moabi and MP for Nkange, Dr Never Tshabang.

Mr Mzwinila highlighted that in August 2020 during the groundbreaking ceremony, government had made it clear the importance of completing the project on time due to its magnitude.

He said it was critical that contractual terms were fulfilled in every project and also acknowledged that COVID-19 outbreak had affected many sectors resulting in projects delay.

The minister said government expected the contractor to device strategies to speed up works and deliver project in September.

He said water was a necessity in every person’s daily life, further stating that affected constituencies included Tati East, Tati West, Nkange and Shashe West, which had faced acute water shortage for years despite being in close proximity to Ntimbale dam.

Minister Mzwinila said people in those constituencies were pinning their hopes on the massive project so that they would finally have access to water.

Giving a progress report, Unik Construction Engineering site agent, Mr Sydney Balisi said the Masingwaneng five mega litres reservoir works were 100 per cent completed with water tightness tests and inter connecting pipework remaining.

He highlighted that the reservoirs concrete works at Kalakamati booster site were completed while inter connecting pipework was 60 per cent done, adding that the elevated tank material at Moroka booster site had been delivered on site. 

Mr Balisi outlined that concrete works at the Mbalambi 6.8 mega litre reservoir were completed and awaiting water tightness test.

He said 250 metres, out of 870 metres of Goshe pipeline had been laid, Masunga- kalakamati 13.9 kilometres against 14.4 km pipeline was done while 6.5km of 6.6km of Makaleng- Sebina pipeline had been done.

For his part, Mr Molao said Marapong, Semitwe and Nshakazhogwe villages were experiencing acute water shortage with regular pipe burst resulting in lack of inflow.

He said most villages in Shashe West depended on bowsed water, which was not sufficient, adding that the expansion of tanks were commendable as the current ones were of low capacity.

Meanwhile, Dr Letsholathebe thanked Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) for bowsing water to villages in the eastern side of the North East District while awaiting the completion of the water scheme project.

He said it was important that water was made accessible to every Motswana during the COVID-19 times to ensure people wash hands regularly.

MPs Moabi and Tshabang said the water outcry had been ongoing for too long; even though Ntimbale dam with its capacity could feed so many districts.

The MPs stated that the project had created employment within the villages where the project was undertaken and they thanked the Unik Construction Engineering contractor for hiring locals. Ends