08 Aug 2019

The Save Selebi Phikwe Committee has expressed dissatisfaction with  a Botswana Geo-Science Institute (BGI) preliminary report on the Selebi Phikwe tremors.

Presenting the report on August 5,  BGI manager Mr Koketso Botepe assured the committee that the defunct BCL mine would not collapse although the tremors might result in cracking of houses.

Most vibrations, he said, were concentrated in an area coincident with BCL Mine’s south east extension shaft which was directly below the areas in town that experienced most tremors.

Mr Botepe said the area covered Newstance near Segomotso Primary School and Selebi Hotel, with the tremors occuring between 7pm and 7am.

So far 83 000 tremors, occurring  1 000 metres underground, were recorded within three weeks.

The committee, which presented a petition to the district commissioner’s office complaining about the tremors, said the report was unsatisfactory.

Committee chairperson Mr Arone Sefho said the tremors were caused by the BCL liquidator’s failure to pump out underground water from the mine, which resulted in the shaft flooding. 

He urged BGI to pump out water from the shaft before continuing with the study to establish if the tremors would still occur.

Mr Sefho also raised concern over the liquidator’s failure to abide by the law.

Responding,  Mr Botepe said  BCL flooded the shaft with the intension of pumping out the water when it reached a certain level but failed because the undertaking was costly.

He said BGI was undertaking a holistic study promising that the institute would continue to monitor the situation even after completion of the study.

He said the study would take two months with the final report expected mid-September to provide full information on the tremors and provide recommendations on hazard mitigations and long term seismic monitoring programme.

The scope of the study includes determining the cause, magnitude, frequency as well as the nature of the tremors and its possible impacts.

Central district commissioner Mr Rapetse Mathumo said government was taking the Selebi Phikwe tremors seriously hence the study.

He apologised for the Selebi Phikwe leadership’s delay to update the community on the tremors and action taken by  government to arrest the situation.  Mr Mathumo said evacuation plans had been put in place in case of a disaster adding that counselling services were also available.

His office, he said, together with Selebi Phikwe Town Council and other stakeholders would do their best to save lives and protect property.

Mr Mathumo advised those whose property had been affected to register with the district commissioner’s office.  ENDS