- 2 months without water
- WUC doesn’t have money to upgrade the pipeline
- Residents consider meeting the minister over the issue
BOAGO RAMAPHANE
Borolong village near Francistown has gone without water for two months and residents are bearing the worst brunt for the inconvenience.
The village councilor Fetcher Mothubana told The Botswana Gazette that they have been told several times by the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) that the problem was caused by old pipes even though nothing is ever done about the situation.
“Waters utilities personnel always tell us that the pipes which supply us with water are old and too small and now that the village has grown they cannot carry water with high pressure,” he said.
He says they, together with the Village Development Committee (VDC) and the village Chief approached WUC to raise concern over the dire situation which has seen residents going as far as Francistown to fetch water. “I always have residents of the village coming to my place asking for water but I also have nowhere to get the water, I am just a councilor. That is why from our last meeting we have asked water utilities to come and address the residents and explain the situation to them,” he said.
Mothubane said WUC will address residents on 7th November in a meeting intended to field their concerns, “We have even made resolutions to present to them because we have abundant water in Shashe dam, but we are languishing in thirst only because of the said old pipes.”
If all else fails, the councilor says the matter will be escalated to the Minster as he can be the most better placed to help. “The whole situation is all chaotic, and people are suffering,” he said.