18 Sep 2018

Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) is expected to erect a fence around the Shashe Dam.

Kgosi Joshua Joel revealed in an interview that BTO officials recently visited Mandunyane for consultations on the matter.  

He said the BTO revealed that erection of the fence would start soon, hence the need to consult and solicit the villagers’ views. 

Kgosi Joel said they did not reveal the date for the commencement of the project and that the villagers welcomed the project with suggestions on how it should be erected to be mutually beneficial.

He said some villagers, especially farmers, expressed concern that the fence will hinder movement of their livestock to access water from the dam, which has hitherto been their sole source of water. 

He, however, said the BTO promised to put up gates or channels for livestock to access water, with villagers suggesting water points outside the dam’s fence instead, which they said would also minimise vandalism. 

Kgosi Joel said as that would not be the first time a fence was erected around the dam, BTO was advised to use old rail tracks for fencing since they were hard to vandalise, tamper with or steal. 

He also stated that the villagers informed BTO of their desire to have the old Mandunyane ruins as a national heritage site, which it promised to look into.

He said the villagers congratulated and expressed gratitude to BTO for involving them in the process. ENDS