23 Jul 2019

Botswana Geoscience Institute, which has commenced investigations into the earth tremors occurring in Selebi Phikwe, has from end of June to July 19, recorded a total of 50 000 earth tremors.

The Institute’s Senior Geophysicist Mr Onkgopotse Ntibinyane informed a kgotla meeting at Kagiso ward in Selebi Phikwe on Monday that even though investigations were still ongoing, the institute had so far recorded a total of 50 000 tremors captured by six seismic stations established in the mining town.

He said three of the six seismic stations, had been installed on the surface, whilst the other three had been placed 980 metres underground to monitor the frequency of the tremors.

“We are continuing to monitor the earth tremors and we are on the fourth week now,” he said.

He said his organisation, together with experts from South Africa, would carry out an intensive investigation, which would help them to establish the causes, sources of the tremors as well as to determine their magnitudes and frequency.

Mr Ntibinyane said once the investigation was completed, his organisation would be in a position to inform the public about their findings, adding that the study was expected to take two months.

Meanwhile, the Deputy District Commissioner for Selebi Phikwe Mr Mokgethi Nfila, who received a petition from Selebi Phikwe residents last Friday complaining about the earth tremors, informed the residents that government was working around the clock to address the problem.

Mr Mokgethi, who is also a member of the BCL taskforce committee, said prior to the ongoing research by Botswana Geoscience Institute, the committee held a meeting with the liquidator on April 11 and the explanation he gave was that the tremors were caused by Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) water pipes underground.

He said the committee wrote to WUC, who denied the allegations, adding that the issues were then forwarded to the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, who engaged Geoscience Institute and other experts to do extensive research on the earth tremors.

He also urged residents whose houses had been affected by the tremors to register with his office, adding that so far 133 houses had been registered at Ikageleng ward.

For their part, residents of Selebi Phikwe complained that they were living in fear as earth tremors could turn out to be very dangerous, adding that some of their houses had cracked as a result of the tremors.

Kgosi Ganny Moses advised residents to stop new constructions until the problem had been addressed.

He also urged them not to lease the cracked houses to save tenants’ lives.

The most affected areas are Phases One, two, three and four. ENDS