Water shortages and delayed infrastructure projects remain some of the major challenges facing Kweneng District, the council chairperson Mr Ontefetse Rankhibidu has told the Full Council.

Delivering his opening remarks at the second session of the Council Meeting on Monday, he said the district continued to grapple with water supply problems, despite the completion of the Gamononyane-Molepolole NSC II Water Connection project in 2023. 

He said that many of the existing water schemes had outlived their design life with inadequate tanks and distribution networks making it difficult to meet the growing demand.

He further said Molepolole Water and Rehabilitation Project that included the construction of a wastewater treatment plant, was at 81 per cent complete, but faced delays due to land acquisition disputes and cash flow challenges. 

The project, initially expected to completed earlier he said, was now extended to August 2025. 

The chairperson said some components of the project were significantly behind schedule. 

These included the 28 kilometre gravity transmission pipelines and sewer pump stations, which are 25 percent complete against the planned 55 percent. He said that changes of scope and late payments to contractors caused the delays.

Mr Rankhibidu also highlighted challenges in education infrastructure. 

He said construction of three new primary schools in Kopong and Molepolole was still at 38 per cent complete, because of non-payment of contractors. Similarly, Molepolole Tribal Administration Office, which began construction in April 2023, remained incomplete at 93 percent despite several deadline extensions. “The delays  escalate costs, inconvenience communities, and undermine trust in service delivery, ” Mr Rankhibidu said.

He said the council was working to resolve the financial and administrative hurdles that continued to slow down these developments, adding that infrastructure was central to the district’s progress. 

Nonetheless, Mr Rankhibidu expressed the council’s commitment to ensuring that these projects were eventually completed and residents of Kweneng accessed reliable water supply and modern infrastructure. ENDS