04 Sep 2023

Villages of Jackalas 2, Siviya, Senyawe, Butale, Tshesebe, Themashanga and Tsamaya gave a standing ovation to government for quenching their thirst after providing portable and reliable water following a dry stint of more than 10 years. 

Commenting during a kgotla meeting addressed by the MP for Tati East, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe, a resident of Mabudzane Mr Khazi Madzinyane, said for more than 30 years, their village had been calling for provision of portable water. 

Kgosi Bapaphi Thaba of Themashanga and Mr Moswela Dintweng of Tsamaya commended government for addressing their villages’ cry for shortage of water as they were now receiving portable water in abundance. 

At Butale, Village Development Committee (VDC) Chairperson, Mr Phillip Mojeremane, said they were now connected to stable water supply from the Ntimbale Dam. 

“Although water was now in abundance in Mabudzane, we still request for connection and supply of water at new plots,” said VDC Chairperson, Ms Julia Mabifhi. 

Although accolades were given to the government and the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC), some residents still decried high water bills. 

Ms Ellen Banjwa of Siviya said water bills could reach up to P3000 while WUC officers do not take metre readings in some yards. 

At Tshesebe, Joel Learners complained that it took time for WUC officers to attend to water leakages as reports were made in Gaborone before being transferred to Masunga. 

“Metre readers do not give respect and attention to house owners as they do not lend a hearing ear and at time leave our gates open,” he said. 

Mr Bashe Mokgachane inquired about the smart metres or water tokens to elude the prevalence of queries of irregular high bills.

Challenges of dispensary of drugs and medicine became a burning issue from the residents of the Eastern Corridor due to shortage of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians as nurses recently stopped dispensing drugs and medicine. 

VDC Chairperson, Mr Lucky Kula, said patients were told to come for drugs after some few days when a roving pharmacist is available at their village. 

Mr Windry Sikwenda said booking to see a doctor was set months into the future. The patient could die while awaiting the appointment. 

He said this calls for mindset change as the community suffers for months while waiting to see a doctor. 

In Tsamaya, Mr Daniel Jones requested a District Hospital that would cover Tutume and the North East District as Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital was overwhelmed. 

Responding to some of the queries, questions and comments, Dr Balisi Tshuma, said they have come up with a programme of sourcing for pharmacy technicians. 

Dr Tshuma said the Tsamaya cluster used to have one pharmacy technician covering five villages in which each village was attended once a week. 

“However, one technician would be roving the other four villages everyday where the technician was yet to come or might have passed,” he said. 

He said the shortage of drugs has now subsided. He added that where patients were prescribed drugs for chronic diseases like sugar diabetes, high blood pressure and others, nurses would dispense start dose for that day and the patients would get the rest when the pharmacist was available. ends