04 Mar 2013

The Botswana Defence Force (BDF) 2nd Infantry Brigade in conjunction with the Francistown Disaster Management committee held a series of fundraising activities over the weekend to assist soldiers whose barracks were guttered by fire recently.

The activities included concerts which featured BDF Band, Botswana Police Band and other local artists and a 10 kilometre sponsored walk.

Speaking at one of the concerts and the 10 kilometre sponsored walk, the Mayor of Francistown, Councillor James Kgalajwe said the city’s management decided to not only depend on other stakeholders to assist the victims, but to come up with ways of lending a hand.

He said they will continue to come up with activities that will be geared towards raising funds for victims who lost everything as a result of the tragedy.

The Mayor said the recent fire that guttered a block of barracks was an eye opener and as a result, city management has decided to create a fund that will intensify the city’s preparedness for any disaster that can befall it.

Cllr Kgalajwe appealed to the councillors to encourage the residents of their wards to be part of any efforts towards the disaster preparedness.

Earlier on, Lt Colonel Gothatamang Gopolang said the block, which is in First Military Garrison in Area S, was destroyed by fire, leaving all 27 soldiers who were accommodated in it with only the clothes they were wearing on that fateful day.

He said even though their colleagues donated over P19 000, it was not enough as all the property they had, had perished. Lt Col Gopolang appealed for help in cash or in kind.

During the concert held on March 1 night, the BDF Francistown No2 Band, which was characterised by the BDF Bands in concert style faces such as Warrant Officer II Conrad Nasho, Corporal Abraham Kgathi and others took the stage by storm.

Local artists in the form of gospel maestro, Mpho Motlhasedi, Maskanta.com, Ngwao Putswa and Onkgolotse Emmanuel also performed.

Meanwhile, at the completion of the sponsored walk on the morning of March 2, the police band provided entertainment and among the band’s performers was popular Botswana Television (Btv) Itshireletse programme actor, Inspector Kenneth Nkomo, who was one of the lead singers.

Other activities of the day included a tug of war between BDF and Botswana Prisons, and a football match between Ntshe House and BDF. ENDS