04 Dec 2016

The Minister of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism, Mr Tshekedi Khama says his ministry has drilled four boreholes in and around the Sepako area and has inherited 14 from formerly hunting concessions and the company that rehabilitated the Nata-Kasane road.

Minister Khama said out of the boreholes five are operational in the Ngwasha area whilst the remaining 11 are not yet equipped, some are saline and the two recently drilled boreholes in Zibanana/Sepako are dry.

The minister said efforts have been made to drill boreholes, but the challenge has been hitting blanks and getting saline water.

He explained that technical experts are currently considering options to overcome challenges, including de-salination of water from existing boreholes or digging shallow sand wells.

He further said as an interim measure the ministry has resorted to bowsing water to Zibanana in October and November 2016 when the pan dried up.

He was answering a question in Parliament asked by Nata-Gweta Member of Parliament, Mr Polson Majaga who wanted the minister to state the number of boreholes drilled in Sepako area for wildlife purposes and what has caused the delay in the drilling of boreholes as water is still being transported by trucks to reach Zibanana area for wildlife purposes. ENDS