Cash strapped Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) has filed notice of intention to take Government to the High Court to recoup millions of Pula owed by various ministries and departments. Fearing an imminent embarrassment, the Office of the President was prompted to intervene by instructing ministries and departments to effect payment with immediate effect. The Corporation’s Secretary, Felicity Ziga has formally notified the Ministry of Health and Wellness (amount owing; more than P69 million) the Ministry of Defence Justice and Security (amount owing, more than P43 million) ,Ministry of Nationality Immigration and Gender Affairs (more than P161 000), the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism (more than p1 million), the Ministry of Local Government (amount owing P2,9 million) , Parliament (more than P391 000), Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Cultural Development (more than P242 000), Mistry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security (more than P162 000) Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (more than P90 000), Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing Development (more than P126 000) of WUC’s plans to file a lawsuit over arrears running into millions of Pula.
Also notified was WUC’s parent ministry, the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation (more than P432 000), Ministry of Transport and Communications (P2,9 million), Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration (more than P633 000), Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology (more than P2.4 million), Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (more than P28 million) and the Ministry of basic Education (more than P42 million). in a savingram addressed to all Permanent Secretaries dated 3rd June 2021, the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President Emmah Peloetletse states that “It has come to my attention that the Attorney General has received from Water Utilities Corporation numerous notices of intention to sue your Ministries (government) for arrears on water bills…”
She reminded the Permanent Secretaries that since they were copied letters of intention to sue by the Corporation, the Attorney General has been issued with these notices as a warning of the Corporation’s intention to institute legal proceedings against Government if affected Ministries and Independent departments do not make payments within 30 days from 19 May 2021. “I therefore direct all listed Ministries, Independent Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to take responsibility by effecting payment to the Corporation not later than 10 June 2021, she said adding that proof payment should be sent to her office. According to Peloetletse, “All must comply and going forward must put measures in place to ensure that utilities are used sparingly for efficient management of the meagre resources at your disposal.”
In her notice to the Attorney General, Ziga states that during the State of Emergency, Government directed that the Corporation restore water connections to those households or businesses that had been disconnected as water was and still an integral part in the fight against COVID-19 by way of washing of hands with soap and water. She added that a moratorium on further disconnections was also put in place. She reminded the Attorney General that the Corporation provides water to Government departments on a commercial basis and therefore which they are mandated to pay for. She said since last year the Corporation has not received payment for services provides despite numerous demands from government ministries and departments in question.
Ziga informed the Attorney General that h was being placed on notice and warned of the Corporation’s intention to institute legal proceedings against him and the ministries in question for payment of money owed. According to Ziga, it is not the Corporation’s intention to drag another government departs to court but it has no choice because, “its debt which is rising exponentially is placing a huge constraint on its operations and ability to carry out its mandate.”
Responding to Sunday Standard enquiries, the Ministry of Health and Wellness spokesperson Christopher Nyanga said, “It is true that the Ministry of Health and Wellness has received communication from the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) indicating that it had some unpaid water bills. The Ministry has all along been honouring its water bills. The Ministry engaged its facilities across the country and none indicated that their payments of water bills were in arrears.”
The Ministry has therefore, Nyanga said, written to WUC to provide further details on the said unpaid water bills. For his part, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Masego Ramakgathi confirmed that “It is true the Ministry has been among those duly reminded by Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) of the arrears amounting to BWP 2,933,279.00.” He added that “As at 11th June, the Ministry, through the affected Local Authorities, had settled the amount of BWP 1,992,506.56, while the remaining amount of BWP 323,062 was settled on 18th June 2021.”
According to Ramakgathi, the delays in processing part of the payment was due to the ongoing consultations between the affected Councils and Water Utilities Corporation to amicably resolve the contested water bill amounting to P687 710.44. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism Lesego Kgomanyane said, “We have no outstanding water Bill’s.
The records indicate that the ministry has paid an amount of P4,347, 53, 29 from April 2020 to March 2021. Additionally, an amount of P656 953,84 was paid for the period of April to June 2021.” Immediate comment from other Ministries was not available as their spokespersons had not responded to Sunday Standard enquiries at the time of going to press. WUC’s spokesperson had also not responded to Sunday Standard questionnaire which sought to establish which ministries had not settled their bills and whether the threat to sue still stands.