Government continues to splash the cash on water infrastructure, pumping the Pula into an array of water transfer schemes in an effort to bring ‘metsi’ to the masses.
For the past three years, Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs have channeled billions towards large scale water projects, moving millions of liters of water from dams in the north to the rest of the county.
To continue with these developments, and embark on a number of new ones, the Ministry has proposed a Development Budget of just over P8 billion, with P6.1 billion directed to water and P1.9 billion remaining on land.
Although eye-watering, this actually represents a 2.2 percent drop from the P8.1 billion given out in the 2023/24 Development Budget.
The bulk of water’s billions, in excess of 76 percent, have been set aside for ongoing and fresh water projects, with the lion’s share going to the Water Supply Pipes programme at P3.3 billion.
The money will be used to finish the following initiatives: North South Carrier (NSC) 2.2 Palapye – Mmamashia Water Pipeline, NSC 2.3 Mmamashia – Gaborone Potable Water Scheme, Good Hope Water Supply Phase 2.2 including Mmathethe – Metlojane leg, Boteti Southern – Central Cluster Villages Water Supply Scheme, Chobe – Zambezi Transactional Advisory Services as well as settling the account for the completed Selebi Phikwe Water Supply Scheme and Molepolole -Gamononyane NSC Connection.
The budget will also finance a number of new projects, namely: Sowa Water Supply Scheme, Ncojane Wellfield – Kgalagadi North Water Supply, Kang /Phuduhudu Water Supply, and consultancy services for Namibia – Botswana Seawater Desalination and Lesotho – Botswana Water Transfer Scheme, which are currently at various stages of the procurement process.
Soaking up the rest of water’s budget at P2.8 billion, will be water supply and sanitation networks, with the money mainly covering the final touches on Lobatse Water Master Plan, Moshupa Sanitation, Maun Water and Sanitation, Kanye Network Rehabilitation.
The budget will further finance the commencement of: Molepolole Water Supply Network Upgrading and Rehabilitation, Thune Water Supply Pipelines, and Glen Valley Wastewater Reclamation (PPP).
Giving an update on the ongoing projects from the soon-to-end financial year, Minister of Lands and Water Affairs, Kefentse Mzwinila said over 90 percent of the Development Budget has been spent on water and sanitation projects.
“Significant progress has been realized in delivery of projects milestones. Out of 22 major water and sanitation infrastructure projects, ten are substantially complete while 12 have progressed fairly well and are expected to be completed by August. With the amount of resources allocated for developments in the water sector, it is inevitable to devote a lot of effort towards the Water Security Strategy. The ongoing Botswana Water Investment Programme, which will look into the short, medium to long-term investment in the water sector, borrows a lot from the strategy and its outputs will advise the implementation of strategies and initiatives that will propel our country to a secure status by 2054,” Mzwinila declared.
In the current financial year (April 2023 – March 2024) the Ministry was initially allocated P7.1 billion, consisting of P6 billion for the Development Budget and P1 billion for the Recurrent Budget [the budget for ongoing expenditures, IE: salaries, operations, maintenance cost of capital assets].
The Development Budget received an additional P2.1 billion, taking its total haul to P8.1 billion, a figure that was reached at the end of February.
