09 Jul 2025

Water Utilities Corporation has proposed the connection of Pandamatenga to Kasane Water Treatment Plant infrastructure. 

Speaking during a stakeholder meeting in Kasane on Tuesday WUC head of business centre, Mr Mothusi Lebala stated that the treatment plant which supplied Kasane, Kazungula, Lesoma and all villages in Chobe Enclave proved to have adequate water to expand reticulation to Pandamatenga. He said the plant which extracted four million litres a day from Chobe River with a storage capacity of 32 mega litres clearwater tank of which only eight mega litres was utilised on a daily basis.

This, he said, was an indication that the plant processed surplus water for the villages connected to the infrastructure adding that the excess was sufficient to feed Pandamatenga. Mr Lebala stated that approval of the proposal to connect Pandamatenga to the water network would entail a 100 kilometre pipeline construction from Kasane to Pandamatenga.

He said currently Pandamatenga was supplied by two boreholes with a combined production of 196.5 cubic metres a day against 280 cubic metres demand. He pointed out that plans were underway to equip a third borehole that was acquired from Water Affairs to augment the insufficient supply.

Moreover he said there is a case under litigation where a contractor failed to deliver on contractual obligations to equip another borehole in Pandamatenga. He highlighted that WUC intended to be part of the economic development in the Chobe District as a tourist hub adding that this could be achieved through stakeholder engagement.

Chobe District Council Chairperson, Mr Johane Chenjekwa gave a nod to the proposal to expand water reticulation to Pandamatenga. He said that bowsing water for Pandamatenga to augment supply was not viable and also expensive for WUC. Mr Chenjekwa underscored that council backed the proposal for the water network expansion because Pandamatenga was the only village in Chobe District without water.

Moreover he stated that Pandamatenga as an agronomy hub contributing 47 per cent to the national annual crop production had a potential to stimulate more agricultural supply chain, storage and processing facilities. This he said could be achieved through a sustainable water supply to ensure larger scale of productions complimented by adequate water supply. ENDS