09 Oct 2015

Francistown East MP, Mr Buti Billy has implored residents of Francistown to desist from turning Tati River into a dumping site. Speaking at the Tati River cleanup campaign organised by the Department of Water Affairs in collaboration with the Resilience in the Limpopo River Basin Programme (RESILIM/USAID), Mr Billy said throwing waste in the river damages it.

He also warned residents against illegal collection of sand in the river. 

He said even those who collect the sand legally should not only be interested in money making, but should be mindful of the river.

Mr Billy encouraged residents to keep the river alive because the history of Francistown is attached to it, and that it could be used for tourism attraction purposes. Department of Water Affairs regional manager, Mr Galejewe Kago echoed the same sentiments that throwing waste in the river affects its flow rate.

He said apart from supplying the nearby dams with water, the river also has the potential of creating employment opportunities for residents. 

Mr Kago, who is also a member of the committee that was formed to address the problem of waste in the Tati River, said there was need for the community’s active involvement in keeping the river clean.

A RESILIM/USAID chief scientist, Dr Nkobi Moleele said many rivers in Botswana form part of the Limpopo River basin, and that since 60 per cent of the country’s population live near those rivers, there was a need to engage them in caring for the rivers.

He said waste thrown in the rivers affects the flow of water into dams leading to shortage of water. Ms Saniso Sakuringwa, head of water quality monitoring, noted that the indiscriminate collection of river sand results in vegetation such as the growing of reeds in the river.

She explained that having a lot of reeds growing in the river blocks the flow of water leading to areas close to the river submerging during heavy rains.

She said the other negative result of unsystematic collection of sand is stagnant water, which becomes breeding area for mosquitoes in the river. Ms Sakuringwa said contaminated water in river kills water organisms such as fish.

Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi said reeds in the Tati River were a concern because they have become hiding spots for criminals and had made it impossible for people to cross the river from one area to the other.

He applauded the Tati River management committee for their initiative of cleaning the river and planning a way forward regarding proper water and waste management practices that would promote resilience in the river. The campaign ended yesterday. Ends