14 May 2018

General manager of Big Five lodge in Kasane, Ms Claudine Roux says the lodge has recorded damages of approximately P1.2 million and lost about P350 000  in revenue when the lodge submerged in the waters of the back flowing Chobe River on May 10.

In an interview with BOPA on May 11, Ms Roux said 17 rooms, a bar and restaurant were evacuated when water from the river overflowed into the entity.

She said the kitchen was mostly affected and other affected areas of the lodge are the office and the garden.

She said 17 rooms are inaccessible because of the water from the river.

She however said with the help of the community and other lodges in the waterfront, the lodge managed to remove beds and other properties from the rooms but electricity was affected.

The lodge is working with its risk management team to avoid further damages, she said.

Chobe district crop production officer, Mr Zacharia Mmapetla said the back flow of the river affected 246 hectares, of which 150 are in Satau areas and 96 in the Mabele/Kachikau areas.

Mr Mmapetla said farmers in the area ploughed late due to the delay in rainfall and the backflow of the river was a disadvantage as their crops had submerged.

Mr Mmapetla advised the farmers not to go to the submerged areas as doing so would expose them to water animals and could even lead to drowning.

The team leader of the Kazungula Bridge Construction, Mr Kobamelo Kgoboko said although the water levels in the river were high, it had not affected construction work.

Mr Kgoboko said the current water levels were the highest to be registered in a period of three years according to the monitoring records in Katimamolelo.

He said construction would proceed as usual and there could only be a concern when the water reaches the top of the temporary bridge used by construction vehicles.

He however said water brought along weeds that block the free flow of the river water and since two weeks ago they engaged a sub-contractor to remove the weeds.

Mr Kgoboko lamented that due to the high velocity of water one of the boats used to remove the weeds capsized.

Chobe district commissioner, Mr Keabetswe Lesiela said water levels in the Chobe Enclave were increasing and already 10 households had been identified as highly prone to be affected.

Mr Lesiela said with the help of the social workers, the households had been counselled on relocation and the VDC together with Ipelegeng had already been engaged to clear a safer place where tents from the Red Cross could be pitched should there be a need for relocation.

He further said in Satau village, which is divided into two by water, a standby boat had been secured to transport school going children and elders, who are unable to access the other part of the village using an alternative route.

Mr Lesiela noted that should there be need for evacuation; government resources such as vehicles had been arranged.

He further explained that the health committee through the District Health Management Team (DHMT) was prepared in case of any disease outbreaks.

Mr Lesiela said trucks from the council and the private sector had been engaged to try and rehabilitate areas where water affected the Kachikau-Satau road and in case the water covers the road, an alternative Kachikau-
Parakarungu road would be used to facilitate the people’s movement.

He said the water situation in the village would be continuously monitored until it was under control.

He said the same problem of the backflow of the river was experienced in 2009 and the community is much familiar with it. Ends