Water reforms drag WUC finances into red

BONIFACE KEAKABETSE
Correspondent | Sunday May 12, 2013 00:00

 

WUC communications manager, Matida Mmipi says that costs soared significantly due to the fact that the corporation is taking over supplies to the vast rural area once served by the defunct Water Affairs Department (WAD).

She said that by the end of last year, water supplies to 364 villages had been taken over by the corporation under the programme. Only supplies to villages in Ngamiland have not come under WUC. Mmipi said WSRP soared WUC’s employee base by 55 percent from 1,832 in 2011 to 2,839 in 2012. Similarly the customer base grew from 144,000 in 2011 to over 222,000 in 2012.

Mmipi said WUC is ahead of schedule in the takeover programme of potable water delivery and wastewater management services in major villages.

“With Ngamiland takeover billed for April this year, WUC will complete the programme a year ahead of the initially planned 2014 mark,” she said.

Ngamiland’s takeover will add more clientele to WUC whose takeover has drawn mixed reactions from the residents.

Speaking during a stakeholder meeting organised by WUC, last week in preparation for the April takeover, scores of residents expressed concerns about exorbitant fees charged by the corporation. Complaints were raised over the P1,500 connection fees charged by the corporation.

In response Mmipi said there is a misconception that WUC is a private company and not parastatal. She said as a parastatal wholly owned by government, the corporation meets the water needs of Botswana and is not a profit making organisation as people think.   

She said the government had subsidised water fees when water delivery mandate was still with the Department of Water Affairs and local councils. However some councils were charging more than WUC for water, she said

Mmipi informed the meeting that WUC is currently erecting prepaid standpipes in villages. She explained that this will minimise water wastage. Already, Molepolole has pre-paid standpipes. Mmipi expressed concern about increasing numbers of people illegally connecting water to their homes.

Last year, government decided to zero-rate water supplies for households consuming up to 5,000 litres per month or 25 drums of 200 litres. The initiative was meant to ease the burden on domestic water consumers, especially the poor, since water is a basic need.