20 Jan 2022

The Kanye water rehabilitation project, due to commence in April, is expected to address water challenges around the village.

Speaking at a kgotla meeting addressed by the Member of Parliament for Kanye North, Mr Thapelo Letsholo in Kanye on Wednesday, Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) Kanye head of business centre, Mr Olebile Matswiri said the project would address water challenges in new areas such as Mheelo, which were not initially in the plan.

He noted that even though the North South Water Carrier (NSC) was commissioned last year to address water shortage in greater Gaborone, Kanye still experienced some challenges as a result of big rocks that were difficult to penetrate.

He also said that some pipes were small hence they could not cope with the village’s growing population.

“We do acknowledge that water is the engine of growth for development and therefore we are working round the clock to address these challenges,” he said.

Additionally, Mr Matswiri urged residents to conserve water by reporting pipe leakages as soon as possible.

He also appealed to them to regularly visit the WUC office to reconcile meter readings and bills to avoid disconnections.

In response, the residents said even though they acknowledged that there were plans to ensure smooth supply of water in the village, there was need for WUC to hasten its plans.

Bangwaketse Deputy Paramount Chief Kgosi Kebapetse Telekelo said even though they appreciated efforts to supply water through a bowser for areas facing acute shortage of water, there was need for a long time solution to supply the whole village with water.

He said the bowsers could not effectively supply the growing population.

He also expressed concern that there were incidents where people were confronted with high water bills despite their taps being dry.

Mr Joseph Masala implored authorities to intensify campaigns to sensitize people on water conservation and recycling.

He said Batswana should be educated about rain water harvesting as one of the conservation strategies.

“We should acknowledge that water consumption will continue to rise as the population increases and this calls for us to benchmark from other countries, ” he said.

One resident, Ms Kelebogile Kwelagobe said reporting leaking pipes was not effective as the field officers were usually hostile. “Even if you find them working nearby they still tell you to go and report at WUC office,” she said.

She also decried exorbitant water bills in some parts of the village, despite dry taps. Ends