01 Mar 2015

Some dikgosi in Ngamiland District have appealed to Office of the President to declare drought in the area because it was hard hit by poverty. 

In a meeting addressed by Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Philip Makgalemele, dikgosi indicated that even though they appreciated assessments of the area by government teams, the situation was severe and did not require further assessment.

Mr Makgalemele was recently on a tour of the district to familiarise himself with village leadership and also appreciate their concerns. Kgosi Ebineng Potsoeng argued that the situation needed urgent attention because the longer it took to address it, would impact negatively on communities and their livestock. 

He said Ngamiland District needed special attention owing to the challenges communities were faced with. Also, he indicated that residents did not plough due to poor rains and that boreholes had dried up. 

Currently, he said Ipelegeng programme was the only source of employment for many residents in the area. Kgosi Boitiro Dithapo of Sehithwa shared the same sentiments noting that there was no grazing for livestock due to drought adding that some residents were already losing many of their cattle. 

He indicated that while he appreciated that President Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama had declared drought period around July, the situation should be addressed urgently because it was currently worse and they could not wait longer.To that, Mr Makgalemele admitted that indeed the district is stricken by drought and needed urgent attention. 

He thus assured the village leadership that he would discuss the issue with cabinet and see how best they could be assisted.

The assistant minister also toured the nine community boreholes at Nakalatswee settlement which were damaged by floods in 2011 as a result of spillage from an overflowing river and leaving the community with no source of water. The boreholes were also used by the community to water their livestock. 

Mr Makgalemele also assured residents that a team from the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) would come to conduct thorough assessment of the damaged boreholes and come up with a report that would assist in mapping a way forward. 

Member of Parliament for Ngami constituency, Mr Thato Kwerepe complained that nothing had been done to assist residents since disaster occurred.  He said currently residents’ livestock had no place to drink water.Meanwhile, the NDMO is reportedly committed to coordinating and ensuring effective implementation of disaster risk reduction to protect lives, property, livelihoods and the environment from the impact of both natural and manmade disaster through comprehensive disaster prevention and mitigation measures. ENDS