18 Apr 2018

 Southern District Commissioner who is also the chairperson for the district’s disaster management committee, Mr Mmoloki Raletobana says this year’s late rains were ‘reasonably intense.’ 

Mr Raletobana said this during the committee’s 2018/19 drought and household food security vulnerability assessment and analysis preparatory meeting in Kanye on April 16. 

He said according to his own assessment, it was evident that there would be insufficient harvest this ploughing season due to a decline in ploughing owing to late rains. 

For her part Jwaneng’s department of meteorological services acting station manager, Ms Daphney Keatlholetswe shared that this year was characterised by a dry spell in the Southern District since rains were below the normal threshold with the current season receiving less rains when compared to the two previous years. 

Ms keatlholetswe said areas which fell within the jurisdiction of Kanye Administrative Authority (KAA) had experienced dry weather conditions which resulted in below normal rains in January and February. 

She said the rainfall which was poorly distributed, still recorded below average in most KAA areas, except for Pelotshetlha and Lorolwane with much above normal rainfall. 

Ms Keatlholetswe further noted that in the Moshupa Sub-district the dry weather conditions experienced during the month of January prevailed to February, hence the much below normal rainfall except for Moshupa and surrounding areas where above normal rainfall was received. 

She explained that half of the Mabutsane Sub- district received below normal rainfall while the remaining half received normal to much above normal rainfall, adding that the rainfall was fairly distributed. 

Ms Keatlholetswe shared that the department was faced with a challenge of data gaps which needed to be bridged that were created by non-availability of rain gauges or rather devices in some areas and breakage of measuring cylinders. 

Kanye’s wildlife and national parks senior wildlife warden, Mr Tumelo Lempehu said there was good vegetation or forage in the Southern District to sustain wildlife in most parts of the district. 

He said the recent rains in February and March improved water availability as well as rangeland conditions which impacted positively on wildlife habitat. 

Mr Lempehu said the recent rains had improved rangeland though some grasses were not good for foraging due to low leaf production. 

He said most of the water sources had enough water to sustain wildlife to the next raining season in Kanye and Moshupa Sub-district while Mabutsane Sub -district was in a fair condition. ENDS