Mokaila’s Pitsane woes

In the midst of public outcry that ministers do not feel the pain of people and are detached from reality, the villagers in Pitsane tell a sad story about their Member of Parliament and also Minister for Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Kitso Mokaila who they allege enjoys uninterrupted supply of water in the village.
A village elder who preferred anonymity because he still wants to take the issue to his seniors in the district said the Minister has monopolised the Water Utilities Corporation.
He said the Corporation always re-fills the minister’s tanks every time he comes to the area while the villagers walk more than 20 kilometres to collect water from neighbouring villages. “Every time they re-fill they just effuse the water that has been there even if the minister comes in the space of a week,” he said, adding that he always receives reports from the minister’s neighbours in Pitsane West ward. The source also said they get water for one week in a month.  He said the only explanation that they always get is that they share a borehole with Good hope village, and that Good hope is given a priority because of the senior school. According to the source, every time the WUC re-fills the minister’s tanks they know that its either he is coming for a weekend in Pitsane or water is about to be cut.
Another villager Thatayaone Gaboitaolelwe who described himself as Mokaila’s long time friend corroborated the reports saying though he has not found WUC vehicles delivering water at the Minister’s house, he was aware of the reports.
He said Pitsane has for a very long time experienced water shortages, “but the Minister has a borehole and water tank in his house. He pumps water from his own borehole and I want to believe that the corporation delivers water for him when the borehole has dried or it is not working,” said Gaboitaolelwe.
Mokaila has dismissed the allegations that he is favoured by the utility companies that fall under his portfolio “There is no need for me to re-fill the tank frequently because I do not even drink water from the tanks. I just use it for bathing.”
Mokaila confirmed that Pitsane has shortage of water because all boreholes have dried up. He said the government has invested in a P1 Million water supply project in the constituency which will be completed end of this month.
WUC, Communications Manager Matida Mmipi refuted allegations that her Corporation is giving the minister special treatment. She confirmed that it is true Pitsane has a water crisis as the boreholes do not produce enough water.