Molepolole to receive permanent potable water supply – PS
Molepolole - arguably one of the largest villages in the country - has endured a severe shortage of potable water for the past five decades.
Relief is finally on the horizon, as plans are underway to supply the village with water from the North-South Carrier. However, residents will need to remain patient, as the connection will only be realised in two years.
Since independence, Molepolole has relied solely on 14 boreholes spread across three wellfields—Malwelwe, Gaotlhobogwe, and Suping—for its water supply.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Human Settlements, Bonolo Khumotaka, confidently told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the ministry has developed a comprehensive plan to end the water crisis, not only in Molepolole but across the country.
This announcement will surely please the two Molepolole MPs - Arafat Khan and Shima Monageng.
Monageng, who also serves on the PAC, posed a series of pressing questions during the session, some emotionally charged—seeking clarity on what he should tell his constituents at the next kgotla meeting, having previously campaigned on a promise to deliver clean, drinkable water to them.
At some stage, Khan told parliament that if the government cannot supply water to Molepolole, he will stop MPs from drinking the water supplied during Parliament's sittings so that they can feel what it takes to go for a day without drinking water.
In response, Khumotaka emphasised that the Ministry is deeply concerned about the acute water shortage not only in Molepolole but across the country. She stated that resolving the crisis is a top priority, and the Ministry is working urgently to find solutions for all affected villages, even in the absence of funding from the consolidated budget.
'We are currently working on how best and how quickly we can tackle this issue in all areas experiencing water shortages,' Khumotaka said.
'Molepolole has been prioritised, and once that project is completed, we will be able to share a detailed plan outlining the strategies and areas we aim to cover. If we fail, we will be transparent about it. I promise to provide that information within three months,' she assured.
Back in 2023, there was great optimism when Molepolole began receiving water from the North-South Carrier, drawing from the Gamononyane-Molepolole pipeline.
However, that promise was short-lived. The system failed again as underground pipes could not withstand the water pressure, leaving residents once more without a reliable supply.
Over the years, the water crisis in Molepolole became a rallying point for the opposition and a powerful campaign issue. The then-ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) struggled to respond to the growing frustration, as the water shortage continued to deprive residents of a basic need for drinking, cooking, and household chores.
To this day, Molepolole residents rely on water bowsers—an expensive and temporary solution. At one point, the village's boreholes could collectively supply only 8.7 million litres per day, far short of the 13 million litres needed to meet daily demand.
There was renewed hope when the North-South Carrier (NSC) connection was commissioned. However, that optimism quickly faded. When the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) began pumping water, they were met with unexpected challenges—especially in the older sections of Molepolole.
These issues included pipes with inadequate pressure ratings, lime blockages, and frequent pipe failures in low-lying areas. The aging water distribution infrastructure, installed in the 1990s, was not built to withstand the pressure, resulting in repeated disruptions.
To address this, WUC deployed additional resources to replace burst-prone pipes, upgrade sections of the pipeline network, and remove hardened lime deposits clogging pipes in several wards.
A more comprehensive solution was the launch of the Water Reticulation Rehabilitation Project. This initiative aims to overhaul the village’s water distribution system and extend service pipelines to previously un-serviced plots.
The project is being implemented in six phases. Phase six, involving the construction of the Wastewater Treatment Plant, began in October 2023 and is scheduled for completion within 18 months.
The next phase began in April 2024 and included building primary sewer lines, pump stations, and key water infrastructure, such as ring mains and nine service reservoirs.
The remaining four phases focus on the construction of water and wastewater reticulation pipelines. These are planned under the National Development Plan 12 (NDP 12).
However, NDP 12 was shelved in favour of the National Development Transitional Plan (NDTP), which was intended to act as a short-term framework to guide the country's development during a transitional period.
Unfortunately, the NDTP also failed to meet its objectives, falling short of its intended impact.