Preceded by member of Parliament (MP)
51-774: Moralane is a key site on the North-South Carrier (NSC), in Botswana , the main pipeline delivering raw water from the northeast to the Mmamashia water treatment plant just north of Gaborone . Phase 1 of the NSC opened in 2000, delivering water from the Letsibogo Dam on the Motloutse River . A reinforced concrete break pressure tank (BPT1) and a pumping station (PS2.1) were installed at Moralane in this phase. The break pressure tank has
102-643: A cost of P5.5 billion. Construction of the Dikgatlhong Dam on the lower Shashe River began in March 2008 and was completed slightly ahead of schedule in December 2011. This is a zoned earthfill structure, 41 metres (135 ft) high and 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) long, with potential storage capacity of 400,000,000 cubic metres (1.4×10 cu ft), almost three times that of the Gaborone Dam . The dam will start impounding
153-421: A man who was prospecting for minerals entered the pipeline corridor and caused the pipe to burst, sending a stream of about 1,000 liters (220 imp gal; 260 U.S. gal) a second pouring into the surrounding land to form a deep crater. Water supplies in the region were cut off until repairs could be made. In the original plans, NSC-2 would deliver 45,000,000 cubic metres (1.6×10 cu ft) annually at
204-499: A mere stop-over, Palapye is rapidly developing to one of Botswana's main financial, residential, industrial and educational hubs. New malls and educational institutions continue to mushroom gradually in Palapye. The town's physical size has more than doubled since the 1990s. Palapye also has a professional recording studio, called Ruff Riddims , built in early 2009. It is the first of its kind in Palapye. The main sport played in Palapye
255-472: A pipeline that would carry water from these sites to the area of highest demand around Gaborone in the southeast. A 1994 review of environmental assessments conducted for the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation , which provided some of the funding for the project, concluded that the impact of the pipeline would be tolerable. The pipe would be buried. Native vegetation would soon regenerate along
306-607: A population of 1,921,000. GDP per capita on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis was $ 13,415. 83% of the people were literate. The percentage of people with access to safe drinking water rose from 77% to 96% between 1996 and 2006. The economy of Botswana is growing fast, as is the population, particularly in the Gaborone area. This is causing growth in per-capita demand for water, and rapid growth in total demand. The Gaborone region accounts for over 75% of water demand in eastern Botswana. The local Gaborone and Bokaa dams cannot meet
357-512: A very small handful of supporters. Lotsane Senior Secondary School is one of the main government schools in Palapye. It accommodates learners from Forms 4 to 5. It is one of the very few boarding schools in the area and publishes a school newsletter called Lotsane .Other government schools in Palapye include Mabogo JSS, Palapye JSS and Mmaphula JSS. Popular private institutions in the town are; Kgaswe High School and Royal Professional College (which also offers tertiary level programmes). Also, there
408-784: Is football , with many people also playing softball and volleyball . Sports are usually played at school grounds, which have adequate facilities and fields. Palapye has currently six known soccer teams, Palapye All Stars , Morupule Wanderers , FC Palapye , Palapye United and Palapye Swallows and Motlakase Power Dynamos . However, due to there being no stadium in the town, the three teams which usually played at Premier and First Division league usually play their matches elsewhere, although occasionally some games are played Palapye Swallows and PU Grounds. While in those leagues they play their matches in Orapa , Francistown , Sua , Maun or Selibe Phikwe . Both teams are not well known teams, gathering only
459-556: Is a secondary road that leads to Serowe , and later, Orapa and Lethlakane . The national railway, which connects all major towns and cities all over Botswana to each other, also passes through Palapye. The rail track through Palapye links the town to Gaborone and Francistown. Coal that is mined from other regions in Botswana, such as Selebi-Phikwe, is sent by rail to Palapye. A proposed rail link to Bulawayo , Zimbabwe has been touted to operate, but such plans are still to be considered by
510-480: Is a vocational institution that existed for over fifteen years in the town; Palapye Technical College (PATECO), formerly Palapye Vocational Technical College (VTC). Since the year 2000, rumours circulated of a university to be built in Palapye. After numerous delays and extensive research, a project was finally accepted in 2004. BIUST ( Botswana International University of Science and Technology ) began construction of its campus in December 2009. The construction of
561-420: Is believed to be bordering the 80,000 mark, however, this is not an official figure, with many quarters arguing that the actual number is much higher or lower. According to 2022 2022 Population and Housing Census preliminary results, Palapye has registered 3.3% population growth rate from 2011 it was 37,256 and in 2022 is 52,398, Christianity is the main religious belief amongst Palapye citizens. However, there
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#1732884857282612-431: Is clearly popular among voters. Notes Citations Sources Palapye Palapye is a growing town in Botswana , situated about halfway between Francistown and Gaborone (170 km (106 mi) from Francistown and 240 km (149 mi) from Gaborone). Over the years its position has made it a convenient stopover on one of Southern Africa's principal north–south rail and road routes. Located here
663-496: Is considerable population of Muslim and Hindu believers in the town. The Palapye Water Affairs currently provides the town with an abundant supply of water. The works is located a few kilometres outside the town. The Affairs provides Serowe with water, through a new pipe network since 2008. Due to current blackouts across the country, resulting from South Africa's refusal to supply electricity to Botswana, construction has been halted for many projects. However, they have resumed,
714-490: Is probably the best known and is some 50 km (31 mi) from Palapye. Here, there are endangered black and white rhino . The Tswapong Hills also have many areas of historical significance and well as the Moremi Gorge . This is an area of great beauty as it has a permanent water source. About 20 km (12 mi) ESE of Palapye, close to the village of Malaka, are the remains of Phalatswe, also called Old Palapye,
765-492: Is the Morupule Colliery , which supplies Morupule Power Station , Botswana's principal domestic source of electricity. The power station has undertaken an expansion project to increase its generation capacity in an effort to meet the country's increasing demand for electricity. Construction began in 2010. As of May 2021 , Morupule A plant produces 132 MW of electricity, while Morupule B produces 600 MW. In 1997 Palapye
816-412: Is undependable. A drought period may last for several years. Precipitation is highest in the northeast, at about 690 millimetres (27 in) annually, and lowest in the southwest, at about 250 millimetres (9.8 in) annually. Annual average potential evaporation is about 2,000 millimetres (79 in) annually. Botswana has a flat terrain that is mostly unsuitable for reservoirs. In 2008 Botswana had
867-456: The Dikgatlhong Dam , completed in 2012, will be used in part to supply the large coalfield and power station at Mmamabula via the NSC pipeline. The Botswana National Water Master Plan (NWMP) identified promising sites for reservoirs in the northeast on the small, ephemeral Motloutse and Shashe tributaries of the Limpopo River . The North-South Carrier Water Project was launched to build
918-643: The Impala antilope. Palapye is situated nearly 70 km (43 mi) north of the Tropic of Capricorn , by the Lotsane River , towards the central-eastern edge of Botswana. Summer months are from mid-September to mid-April. Summers are very hot in Palapye, with daytime temperatures reaching up to 40 °C. Thunderstorms are plentiful in the summer. Rainfall levels reach usually a minimum of 300 mm annually. Winters in Palapye are mild and dry. Palapye's population
969-446: The 2017–2022 budget period. NSC-2.1 delivers water from a new storage reservoir at Palapye to a new reservoir at Mmamashia via two new pumping stations. The NSC-1 upgrades would include introducing variable-speed drives at the existing pumping stations and installing a new pumping station, as well as upgrades to transfer links and treatment works at the south end of the pipeline. Initial planning also started for NSC-3, another pipeline in
1020-559: The Chobe/Zambezi Transfer scheme earlier, and to link it up to the NSC. Botswana had discussed plans to extract the water at various Zambezi Watercourse Commission meetings, and had received no objections. The first phase of the project would deliver the water to the Pandamatenga area for agricultural use, and the second phase would carry water from Pandamatenga south to the NSC. The pipeline would run via Francistown to join
1071-524: The Letsibogo Dam along the eastern road and rail corridor to Gaborone. The pipeline plan included four pumping stations and a water treatment plant at the terminus just north of Gaborone. The pipeline was to have pumping stations at Letsibogo, Moralane , Palapye and Serorome Valley . The Serorome station was later deferred to a future upgrade. There would be break-pressure tanks at Moralane, Thoti Hill, Mameno and Lose Hill. Towns and large villages along
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#17328848572821122-547: The NSC at Break Pressure Tank 1 (Moralane). Depending on the route selected, it would be 500 to 520 kilometres (310 to 320 mi) long. The Botswana government notes that the pipeline development could serve the needs of neighboring countries. The station that extracts water from the Zamebezi could also supply a pipeline to Namibia. Some of the water could be pumped from Francistown to Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. Transfer of water to meet
1173-570: The NSC-1 pipeline, and great care must be taken to ensure no damage is done to the existing pipeline. In the 1980s and early 1990s the Botswana and South African governments began discussing the possibility of drawing water from the Zambezi River and feeding it into the North-South Carrier. Some of this water could be passed on to South Africa. The two countries even speculated about "diverting
1224-583: The Shashe River during the 2012–2013 rainy season. The first portion of the NSC-2 pipeline, NSC-2A, will connect the Dikgatlhong Dam to the NSC 1 Break Pressure Tank 1 at Moralane. With a troubled world economy, the Botswana government decided that between 2010 and 2016 they would focus on completing the NSC-2.1 section and upgrading NSC-1. Construction of NSC-2.2 from Moralane up to Palapye would be deferred to
1275-516: The South African portion of the basin, water usage exceeds the potential water yield from the basin by 800,000,000 cubic metres (650,000 acre-feet) annually. Water has to be imported from the Vaal River to make up the shortfall. Almost all rainfall occurs in the summer months of October through April, at a time when temperatures over 30 °C (86 °F) cause high levels of evaporation. Rainfall
1326-675: The Zambezi River at Kazungula ", a prospect that was not welcomed by the other members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Eventually the question of claims on the Zambezi water were settled by the 1995 SADC protocol on shared Watercourse Systems and establishment of the Zambezi River Authority . However, the commitment of member governments to honor the agreement seems weak and may not stand up to
1377-491: The capacity of 4,500 cubic metres (160,000 cu ft) and the pumping station has the capacity of 1.51 cubic metres (53 cu ft) per second. Phase 2 of the NSC is due to start delivering water from the Dikgatlhong Dam on the Shashe River in 2014. The new pipeline from the Dikgatlhong Dam runs parallel to the existing pipeline along the section from the Letsibogo Dam to Moralane, causing concerns that blasting for
1428-548: The country's fifth international airport, after Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaborone, Francistown Airport, Maun Airport and Kasane Airport, easing the increased traffic that is currently being experienced at the present airports. However, such plans have been put on halt due to the current renovations and expansion at Gaborone Airport and a newly renovated Francistown Airport. There are several well-known tourist attractions close to Palapye. Khama Rhino Sanctuary , 15 km (9 mi) outside of neighbouring Serowe ,
1479-497: The economy to make other businesses more profitable and to become more competitive in the regional economic zone. The estimated US$ 120 million spent on Phase 1 of the North-South Carrier could perhaps have been better allocated to other projects, with the government charging more realistic rates to encourage consumers to reduce their water usage, and with more emphasis on efficient use of existing supplies. Still, spending some of Botswana's diamond revenues on improved water supply
1530-652: The first phase of the university was expected to cost, close to P450 million. It was completed in late 2012, with the first students enrolled in August 2012. These first students, initial attended school in Oodi at Oodi College of Applied Arts and Technology whilst awaiting completion of the BIUST campus. The university was intended to help ease the burden on the University of Botswana , in the country's capital, Gaborone. The University of Botswana
1581-417: The glass-reinforced piping, which caused the original January 1999 target completion date to be missed. A revised target date of June 2000 was also missed, with further delays caused by failures of the pipeline and pumping station equipment. These caused cost increases from the original estimate of P1,200 million to around P1,500 million. Since opening, NSC-1 has had ongoing reliability problems. In April 2012
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1632-546: The government. In 2008, proposals were made to build a new Trans-Kalahari Railway to a port in Namibia , but this is expected to begin construction in 2025. Palapye Airport is a small airfield located just outside the town. An International Airport, that will be located on the Palapye-Serowe road, is another development that is being considered. If plans do go ahead for the proposed Palapye International Airport, it will be
1683-553: The growing demand even with the help of reclamation from the Gaborone Water Treatment Works at Glen Valley. Morupule Colliery uses three boreholes for water, but takes water from the NSC when needed through a 17 kilometres (11 mi) pipeline from Palapye . Exploitation of coal deposits in Botswana related to the South African Waterberg coalfield will also contribute to demand for water. Water from
1734-464: The local Excavator Hire, had 350 employees, 75 of whom were Chinese. The delay was caused by failure of a factory in Palapye to produce pipes of acceptable quality. There were some concerns that further delays could occur if there were problems with blasting along the section from the Letsibogo Dam to the Moralane break-pressure tank and pumping station. Along this stretch, the new pipeline runs parallel to
1785-552: The most important project being the expansion of the Morupule Power Station . The Morupule Expansion Project 1, with an estimated budget of P1.5 billion, is expected to produce 3.8 million tonnes of coal. Plans for a new hospital, similar to the newly constructed Serowe Hospital, have also been proposed. A new police station has been completed in 2012. It is located along the A1 Highway in the old industrial area. From being
1836-524: The needs of thirsty regions like that around Gaborone may have negative impacts on the poor riparian communities that will lose water. It is possible that transferring water-intensive industries to water-rich regions may be a more cost-effective approach with lower impact on the environment. The 1996 SADC agreement in power pooling may be seen as a model for this alternative approach. Botswana's diamond reserves will not last forever, and international demand and prices are unpredictable. Botswana must diversify
1887-480: The new pipeline may cause problems with the existing pipeline. The pumping equipment at Moralane will be upgraded by introduction of a variable speed drive. Initially, the water from both dams will be delivered through the same pipeline from Moralane south to Palapye . An extension of the NSC is being considered to carry the Zambezi 's water from Pandamatenga via Francistown to BPT1 at Moralane. A pre-feasibility study
1938-539: The plan used the existing Bokaa Dam as the reservoir, but it was decided to instead build a covered reservoir closer to Gaborone to minimise loss of water through evaporation. A second dam, the Dikgatlhong Dam , would be built on the Sashe River in Phase 2. A second pipeline running parallel to the first would carry the water to the same treatment plant and reservoir near Gaborone. The Phase 1 pipeline transported water from
1989-570: The pressures of climate change. Under the agreement, the Botswana government has a large allocation of water from the Zambezi near Kasane . The NWMP included plans for the Chobe/Zambezi Transfer scheme, taking about 495,000,000 cubic metres (400,000 acre-feet) annually from the Zambezi for use in agriculture by 2022. In a 2010 report, the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources noted that Botswana might need more Zambezi water to meet expected urban demand by 2020. The ministry expected to implement
2040-479: The route if the topsoil and subsoil were carefully removed and replaced without mixing. Plans for construction of the 28 metres (92 ft) high rock-filled Letsibogo Dam on the Motloutse River also included careful environmental impact assessment studies. The impact of the Letsibogo reservoir on an ecology that has not been carefully studied would be greater. It would both destroy and create habitat. The review
2091-500: The route would be fed by raw water taken from the pipeline at Palapye , supplying Moropule and Serowe , and at Mahalapye , supplying Kalamare and Shoshong . Water from wellfields would be injected into the pipeline at Palla Road and Mmamabula , and water would also be injected from the Bokaa Dam. The Letsibogo Dam was designed for the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources by Arup , who also supervised construction of
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2142-589: The same corridor. The three independent pipelines would provide greater security and redundancy, although they would be operated using an integrated communication and control system. In June 2012, stakeholders were told that construction of the NSC-2A pipeline to connect the Dikgatlhong Dam to the NSC was behind schedule. This part of the project had started in October 2011 and was due for completion in October 2013. The contractors, China State Construction Engineering Corp and
2193-420: The water storage embankment and central clay-core dam. Letsibogo has storage capacity of 100,000,000 cubic metres (3.5×10 cu ft). J. Burrow provided engineering services including designs, contract documents, managing the tendering process and managing construction of the NSC-1 pipeline. Pipe diameters in NSC-1 ranged from 1.4 metres (4 ft 7 in) down to 1.1 metres (3 ft 7 in). The pipe
2244-415: The way of surface water supplies. Until recently, groundwater wells were used to meet about 80% of the demand for water. Some of the groundwater accumulated long ago when the climate was wetter. "Groundwater mining" is not sustainable in areas where the water is not being renewed from the surface. The more populous eastern portion of Botswana lies in the Limpopo River basin, which is considered "closed". In
2295-490: Was cautious in its conclusions about the net impact. The review said "the socio-economic and archaeological issues seem to have been handled in a particularly outstanding way". The plan was divided into two phases. The Letsibogo Dam would be built in Phase 1, with a pipeline about 360 kilometres (220 mi) to carry the raw water south to a treatment plant and master balancing reservoir at Mmamashia , about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northeast of Gaborone. An early version of
2346-433: Was completed in 2000. Phase 2 of the NSC, under construction, will duplicate the pipeline to carry water from the Dikgatlhong Dam , which was completed in 2012. A proposed extension to deliver water from the Zambezi would add another 500 to 520 kilometres (310 to 320 mi) to the total pipeline length. The NSC is the largest engineering project ever undertaken in Botswana. Botswana has an arid climate, with little in
2397-587: Was delivered to the Department of Water Affairs in April 2010. This expansion would deliver another 100,000,000 cubic metres (3.5 × 10 cu ft) of water annually through the Moralane plant. Citations Sources North-South Carrier The North-South Carrier (NSC) is a pipeline in Botswana that carries raw water south for a distance of 360 kilometres (220 mi) to the capital city of Gaborone . Phase 1
2448-547: Was made of alternating sections of glass-reinforced plastic ( fiberglass ) and steel. It was placed in a trench, bedded in sand and buried, within a 30 metres (98 ft) wide easement corridor. The project included installing the pipeline itself, as well as pumping stations, water treatment plants, storage and balancing reservoirs, measurement and control systems and infrastructure. Construction took five years. The North South Carrier Scheme cost about US$ 350 million, and started operation in 2000. There were problems in laying
2499-565: Was originally spelled as Phalatswe , which meant the place for impalas. It existed up to 1902, and the ruins of its church, built in 1892, are still to be seen a few kilometres from Palapye's town centre. Chief Khama contributed some 3,000 pounds to its construction and took a keen interest in church affairs. The Bamangwato people's houses were initially clustered around the church, but finding its vicinity too rocky, they moved 1.5 km (0.93 mi) from Gaborone and away. The name Palapye, formerly rendered as Palachwe or Palapye , refers to
2550-506: Was said to be the fastest-growing village in Africa, and was expected to expand its population from 30,000 to 180,000. The Bamangwato people, under Kgosi Khama III , are widely believed to be the first people to have settled near present-day Palapye. Their capital was the settlement of Phalatswe , also called Old Palapye, and was situated at the western end of the Tswapong Hills . Palapye
2601-584: Was struggling to meet the demand for an increased number of students. The BIUST Campus is situated on a 2,500 hectares (9.7 sq mi) site on the Tswapong Hills, south east of Palapye near the site of Palapye Water Affairs. There is also a proposed plan by the University of Botswana to expand its Faculty of Medicine and locate it in Palapye. Palapye lies on the main A1 Highway, which connects Botswana's two major cities, Gaborone and Francistown . There
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