Africa-Press – Botswana. Morwamosu residents have been urged to take advantage of the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) debt amnesty initiative which gives domestic customers a 50 per cent discount on their water bills.
The campaign, which runs from April 1 to June 30, allows eligible customers to clear the remaining half of the debt within the three months. Speaking in a kgotla meeting addressed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Jwaneng/Mabutsane, Mr Omphemetse Kwapa in Morwamosu recently, WUC Mabutsane sub-cluster supervisor, Ms Arona Epadile implored residents to apply for debt amnesty assessment and make payment plans towards the remaining bills within the stipulated period. She noted that the amnesty only applied to old debts that were over 90 days old, while new debts would be billed the usual way.
“You are encouraged to go and register for assessment of your bills and make payment plans for the remaining 50 per cent. If you fail to pay within the three months your debt will be billed as usual. You must also understand that this campaign only targets debts that are older than 90 days, while new ones would be paid as they are,” she explained.
Ms Epadile noted that bills which were classified as abnormal would be regularised and aligned with the average recorded in the past three months. Subsequently, she underscored the need for consumers to visit the WUC offices to get clarity and agree to payment plans suitable to their budgets.
On other issues, she said they would review the quantity of chlorine added to drinking water in Morwamosu to ensure that it was suitable for human consumption. She said even though the water needed chlorine as a disinfectant, keeping it in the right quantities would make it almost undetectable.
“I have noted your concerns about the chemical that we put in your water and we will have it checked because even though it has to be added to make water safe for drinking, you are not supposed to taste it,” she said.
She noted that even though WUC was in the business of selling water, there were some exemptions since they acknowledge that water was an essential part of human life. She promised to make a follow-up on water shortage at Ikageng ward to determine if an intervention was needed to assist residents.
One of the residents, Mr Kebonamang Matsipane requested that there should be a borehole at Ikageng ward to address water shortage in the area.
“Water shortage is a concern at Ikageng ward and even our school going children do not have water to bath,” he said.
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