01 Dec 2025

The Ministry of Water and Human Settlement continues to grapple with persistent escalation of vandalism by farmers who frequently vandalised transmission pipelines to extract water for their livestock. 

Responding to a question in Parliament recently, Assistant Minister, Mr Motsamai Motsamai said this undermined the integrity of the supply infrastructure and reversing the progress made in providing reliable water access to communities. 

This ongoing sabotage coupled with theft of critical infrastructure has resulted in prolonged water shortages with some villages enduring days without water supply, severely impacting the livelihood and well-being of residents, Mr Motsamai said. 

He said WUC continued to engage in public education initiatives aimed at mitigating such acts of vandalism and theft of critical water infrastructure. 

Mr Motsamai said Tsau was also experiencing water supply shortages due to dilapidated reverse osmosis plant which had surpassed its design horizon, a situation that was further exacerbated by the fluctuating raw water quality from boreholes which limited production from the plant. 

He was responding to Maun West MP, Mr Caterpillar Hikuama who wanted to know if the minister aware that Semolo Water Treatment Plant that was commissioned in 2000, was operating at 40 per cent recovery rate because it has surpassed its 20 years design horizon. 

Mr Motsamai said  Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) awarded a project for a new Reverse Osmosis Treatment Plant in Semolo last year July, at a cost of P39.7 million, with a planned duration of 12 months. 

He said once completed, the plant would alleviate water supply shortages in the villages of Toteng, Bothatogo, Bodibeng, Kareng, Legotlhwane and Sehithwa. However, Mr Motsamai said the project had been delayed due to protracted contractual dispute that resulted in the corporation’s decision to terminate. 

He said that WUC was currently supplying water to the mentioned villages by implementing an equitable rationing strategy from the Semolo Reverse Osmosis Plant. 

In addition, he said a water bowser had been strategically stationed at Sehithwa to facilitate distribution particularly to essential institutions hence mitigating supply interruptions as an urgent contingency. ENDS