TOOLS DOWNED Teachers boycott classes in protest against water shortage

Fed-up teachers at Letlole Mosielele Junior Secondary School in Thamaga village boycotted classes this week as the village continues to grapple with water shortages.

For the longest time, Thamaga has been one of the areas hit hard by lack of water and to augment the situation, members of the community have resorted to water bowsing.

The straw that broke the camel’s back this week was when teachers realised that the water they were given seemed dirty. They fear that the water is contaminated and could put their health at risk.

The concerned teachers have allegedly petitioned Kweneng District Director of Education Steve Bothasitse, but he denied any such development.

“I have not been petitioned and I am not aware of the issue,” Bothasitse responded briefly on Tuesday.

Meanwhile on Tuesday morning, Member of Parliament for Thamaga-Kumakwane Constituency Palelo Mataosane said he was attending a meeting at the school over the matter. Mataosane said the meeting was being attended by the school management and Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) in an effort to understand and get facts on the water issue. By Tuesday afternoon, the school head was said to be busy in meetings and unable to speak to this publication.“Yes we have heard that teachers boycotted classes on Monday because they are not happy, we have sent representatives to Thamaga to get clarity on what is happening,” a spokesperson of Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) Oreeditse Nyatso, said. Nyatso said that water shortage was of great concern in Kweneng, adding that even the country’s biggest village and capital of Bakwena, Molepolole, is faced with similar challenges. “Many government institutions have no water and it is worrying because we were told that once the GamononyaneMolepolole North –South Carrier (NSC) water connection is completed, we will have potable water but that is not the case,” Nyatso cried. He said that Molepolole village is still faced with acute shortage of water and that most residents are still buying water every day. He expressed worry that water bowsing was risky because students can easily contaminate the water which is poured into water tanks.

He squarely put the blame on WUC saying he does not believe they are doing enough to provide Kweneng with water.

WUC spokesperson Beauty Makoba said she was aware that there was a meeting on Tuesday at the school which was attended by MP Mataosane. However, by press time this Tuesday, she did not have adequate details to share with Midweek Sun on the matter.