P19m for 4 ranchers and P1m for 40 families in compensation
ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer
| Friday December 5, 2008 00:00
Briefing participants at a stakeholder meeting here recently, Motlatsi Pilane said the land had been handed over to the department of water affairs after negotiations with the owners of the freehold farms which began last year.
Speaking at the same meeting, Kgosi Phokontsi Seeletso said engaging with stakeholders was necessary for sustainable outcomes.
'Stakeholders are the custodians of natural resources,' he said, 'hence their legitimacy and validation (of solutions.' Stakeholder groups bring various perspectives and knowledge and are important in conflict resolution. Kgosi Seeletso said stakeholders need capacity development in order for them to understand different institutional roles at all levels and to contribute meaningfully to processes.
The current trans-boundary water resource management challenges mean that there is a need for critical linkages with the developmental objectives and output of District Development Plan, NDP10 and water basin development in all of which stakeholders have a role to play.
Seeletso expressed concern that stakeholder participation has not played a major role in the establishment of commissions or in the analysis and assessment of trans-boundary water resource management. 'There is a need to share the challenges of establishing river basin organizations and to welcome ideas from stakeholders on how to move forward,' he said.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Deputy Permanent Secretary Boitshoko Paya said visible progress has been achieved in the construction of Dikgatlhong Dam, associated works and the access road. Site establishment, mobilization of physical resources and acquisition of the rights of exploitation of construction materials were completed last September.
The excavation of the core trench, the outlet conduit, construction of the intake tower and the service spillway, and drilling and grouting to prevent leakage of the dam following impoundment, are at different stages of completion.
Paya said given the financial magnitude of the project and the need to complete it in time, on budget and without compromising quality, it is important to develop and maintain a strong forum for stakeholder participation. The intention is to reserve bush clearing of the dam basin, which will be divided into three portions, for local contractors.
Tender documents are being finalised to pave way for the operation to begin in the first quarter of next year. Upon completion of the construction, several areas are expected to benefit from the facility, including many villages in the southern region of Botswana.
Paya expressed concern that not all areas in the country, particularly in the western part of Botswana, have potable water. Hence the construction of more new dams, among them Lotsane, Thune and Mosetse to raise the existing water supply to from the existing 393 million to one billion cubic metres. 'We continue to explore possibilities of getting water to people in Ghantsi, Tsabong, Middlepits and Bokspits,' Paya said.
The minister is scheduled to visit the Lesotho Highlands Water Scheme early next year to explore drawing water from the Orange-Senqu River in South Africa. The minister has also attended a meeting of SADC water ministers in Tanzania where efforts to draw water from Chobe-Zambezi River were discussed.
An environmental pre-feasibility study to determine how best to utilise water from Chobe-Zambezi system will be completed before the end of this month. This water is intended for the commercial irrigation in Pandamatenga. Another initiative involves a pre-feasibility study for a dam on the lower parts of Ngotwane River and additional small to medium sized dams in the Central District which will be considered during NDP 10.
Paya said in the Dikgatlhong project, 40 people have been affected by the encroachment of the 30-metre road reserve on to their properties and they have been compensated to the tune of just below P1 million. The compensation cost is likely to go up during the undertaking of the pipeline component. Identifying and quantifying parcels of land likely to be affected by the pipeline has been completed and assessment for compensation is due to start with the hope that the affected people can be duly compensated before the start of the pipeline.