Africa-Press – Botswana. Minister of Transport and Public Works, Mr Eric Molale has commissioned Sexaxa water treatment plant aimed at improving water supply in Sexaxa and surrounding villages.
The project, which formed part of the ongoing Maun Phase II Water Supply and Sanitation Project is now operational and benefiting villages of Matsaudi, Sekapane, Sexaxa and Shorobe as they were connected to the upgraded water supply network.
Government has invested over P3.5 billion on the mega project aimed at bringing water supply security and improved sanitation services in Maun and its outlying satellite villages.
Commissioning the project on Friday, Mr Molale said it was testament to the government’s commitment to improving water supply in the village.
Earlier, permanent secretary in the ministry of Lands and Water Affairs, Dr Kekgonne Baipoledi told residents during a kgotla meeting addressed by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi that Maun had been experiencing persistent water shortages despite the fact that the village was surrounded by surface water including the Thamalakane River.
The village, he said, needed 15.6 million litres of water in a day but instead, the Water Utilities Corporation managed to supply 11.8 million litres only.
But he appreciated that since the commencement of the project, the situation had drastically changed, citing that the project would provide a long term solution to water woes in Maun and surrounding areas.
The project, Dr Baipoledi said, had been packaged into four mutually dependent contracts, citing that the first contractor focused on the design, supply and building of water distribution network, sanitation reticulation and telemetry and other associated works.
The second contractor undertook borehole equipping, boreholes collector lines, water treatment plant and transmission pipelines, booster stations and associated works, while the third contractor focused on Maun wastewater treatment plant at east and west, including instrumentation and control and associated works while the last one implemented Maun satellite villages connections including a treatment plant at Sexaxa.
“Once all the boreholes are completed and water is treated, shortage of water will be the thing of the past in Maun and its satellite areas and I can assure you that by December this year, Nxaraga pump station will be complete,” added Dr Baipoledi.
However, he appealed to residents to be prepared to connect to the waste water treatment system and stop using pit latrines, citing that the one at Matshwane was about to be completed.
He also called on residents to safeguard the water infrastructure from vandalism, noting that they had already experienced theft of chambers and thus leading to water wastage.
Meanwhile, still in Maun, Minister Molale also had the opportunity to perform the ground-breaking of the 25km internal roads at Matlapana ward, which would be implemented under the Development Manager Model.
The project had been awarded to Mr Jubilee Mokgosi of BIGEN Africa Services who was also awarded the Mohembo-Gudigwa road.
Mr Molale told Matlapana residents that the project would be done to the tune of P420 million and would take 21 months to be completed. The project, he said comprised of 10km tarred roads and 15km paved, noting that about 400-500 locals would be employed.
The government, he said aimed to empower local companies and therefore urged contractors to deliver timely and quality projects within the stipulated budget.
He also appealed to locals to take their work seriously cautioning that some had a tendency of absconding from work after they got their dues.
On other issues, Mr Molale noted that the government was committed to improve road infrastructure across the country, citing that funding had been secured for the Francistown-Mohembo road.
He said the road would be done in phases, adding that the Francistown-Nata road had commenced while 100km Nata-Gweta would also commence soon after signing with the contractor.
The government, he said had availed funding to the tune of P2.7 billion for the Maun-Gumare road. Mr Molale also appreciated that the contractors for Gumare-Sepopa and Mohembo- Gudigwa roads were on site.
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