11 Mar 2014

MP for Gaborone Central, also Leader of Opposition, Mr Dumelang Saleshando has expressed disappointment by government’s failure to  explain the current power outages to the nation.

Debating the 2014/15 budget estimates for the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, he said there had been load shedding for the past six years which the nation learnt to live with, but noted that what the nation was going through currently was total switch off.

“Businesses have had to close down for days and some have since been closed last Thursday and are asking us what we are doing about this in Parliament. I have been promising them that there might be a statement issued, “he said.

He said he regretted that during this current power crisis there were no warnings, adding that if people were warned that there would be no power for a week, they would decide as to what to do.

Mr Saleshando said as for water, government lacked vision on what to do with water supply as the dams in the northern part of the country were spilling and rivers flowing while the southern part had no water at all.

He said the minister had also not been forthcoming with details of what exactly was happening to Morupule B Power Station. He said it was discouraging that six years later the ministry was still talking independent power producers coming on board, but to no avail.

”These billions have become a black hole on our national coffers, we are throwing money down the pit, we are not getting returns for it, no power, no water,” he said. Mr Saleshando expressed concern of non-engagement of Batswana companies in both Morupule A and B projects.

He said an influx of Chinese nationals in the construction of Morupule B Power Station was uncalled for because some of the things they were hired for did not require outsourcing of manpower.

He also expressed concern that Batswana were not playing a meaningful role in the beneficiation activities in the mining resources of the country. ENDS