‘Give us water’ campaign ups the ante
The ‘Give us water” campaign at Molepolole is gaining momentum. The group made up of the young and old is determined to fight for a basic need of life that has over the years proved scarce in the village - water. The residents have gone thirsty for many years and to date, the situation remains the same. The taps have completely dried up and they survive by buying water on a daily basis. Early last year, the people of Molepolole felt enough was enough and even petitioned Water Utilities Corporation (WUC). According to the campaign’s Publicity Secretary Oreeditse Nyatso, WUC then responded to say that it was aware of the situation in Molepolole and would normalise things in the near future. However, that has not happened and they continue to suffer. Seeing that things were stagnant, the campaign committee appealed to the community during the festive season to make suggestions on how best to find solutions. “Bakwena have grown impatient and it was evident during the meeting that they go to work dirty, they drink almost any drop, clean or not, to try and quench their thirst,” he said. Nyatso told this publication that the Molepolole people have lost confidence in WUC. They were even angered by the WUC press release on the 30th of December 2018 which attributed the water challenges to power cuts. They are disappointed that the blame has now being pinned on Botswana Power Corporationn (BPC) when they have been struggling for the longest period. Given the current situation, Molepolole is said to be planning to ask the government to bring back the Department of Water Affairs. They believe WUC has failed Molepolole dismally since it took over from Department of Water Affairs in 2011. Another meeting with all stakeholders is slated for 26th January 2019. Meanwhile, WUC has assured residents via a press release a fortnight ago that they are working around the clock to restore the situation.