Motsamai to go on hunger strike
Motsamai Motsamai, the maverick Member of Parliament for Gantsi South has given government an ultimatum to fulfil the promise of awarding a tender to address water supply challenges at Charleshill and Makunda by April or he will go on hunger strike.
Currently Charleshill receives daily bowsed water from Xanagas through two leased bowsers at a cost of P400 000 per month.
There seems to be two contradicting statements issued by the authorities on when the real process will start. Motsamai asked the question during the July 2022 session. But, what he thought was a pleasing answer from the responsible minister, Dr. Kefentse Mzwinila is in contradiction to the latest information from the water monopoly company Water Utilities Cooperation (WUC).
Just less than three months after the response by the parent ministry, WUC executives addressed a Kgotla meeting in Charleshill on 8th September 2022 and another brief meeting with Motsamai on 10th January where they said that the tender for the Xanagas to Charleshill Emergency Water Supply Project was expected to be awarded by the end of January 2023.
Threatening to go on strike, Motsamai said: “Mme April ha a ka wela, aba a hetla lesa siela batho ba Charleshill-Makunda metsi, ga kena goja dijo tsa Palamente, ga keye go nwa metsi a lona a Palamente ka gore etla bo ele metsi a nkgang madi, etla bo ele dijo tse di nkgang madi a batho.”
Acting Minister Mabuse Pule played it down in his response, and promised Motsamai that because he loves him and would not like to see him going on hunger strike he would ensure that by April the tender is awarded, mobilised and concluded end of October.
Pule admitted being aware that the Emergency Water Project to address water supply challenges at Charleshill and Makunda was anticipated to be completed by December 2022. However, there were delays in acquiring the pipeline servitude and tank-site extension at Xanagas from the freehold farm owner.
He said they further communicated the new anticipated completion date at the Kgotla meeting in September 2022 to be March 2023, based on the new developments.
“The project duration of six months has consistently been communicated”. He said the tender for the Xanagas to Charleshill Emergency Water Supply Project is currently at the Adjudication Stage and will be awarded at the beginning of April 2023. The project is anticipated to be implemented in six months from the beginning of May 2023 for completion by end of October 2023.
Emergency Water Bowsing was put in place as a contingency measure to augment water supply to the affected villages of Charleshill and Makunda. A request for Quotations (RFQ) was sent to five different companies, the requirements were to identify 100 per cent citizen owned companies registered with PPADB in Code 133 (Public Utilities), Sub-Code 01 (Water Distribution and Related Services) Grade OC.
Only four companies responded to the RFQ.GAB-MOD Holdings (Pty) Ltd was selected and awarded a service contract for the water bowsing works. He said the average monthly cost of bowsing from Xanagas and Charleshill tank site using the two leased bowsers is P400 000 delivering an average of 170 kilolitres of water per day”.