16 Sep 2013

Farmers at Mapete lands have been advised to be cautious and observant while riding on donkey carts and bicycles along the gravel road to Karowe diamond mine.

Karowe general manager, Mr Gerald Ndlovu said before mining started in the area, the road was mainly used by farmers and therefore traffic volume was never seen as a challenge. Mr Ndlovu said this on September 13 at a safety and health awareness event for farmers of Mapete lands.

He said since mining activities had increased traffic volume along the road, there was need to engage farmers on road safety.“We do not want to see our activities as a stumbling block on daily farming activities”, he said.

Mr Ndlovu said the event was held in an effort to promote safety, knowledge and behavioural change among farmers who reside around the mine road. He said since 2010, when the mine started using the road regularly three road accidents have been recorded.

Therefore, he advised farmers and other road users to be cautious and abide by the speed limit. He said as the road was not tarred, it was regularly sprinkled with water to reduce dust which he said was likely to pollute the environment.

Community liaison officer, Ms Kgalalelo Mokgweetsi indicated that Karowe mine had realised that farmers travelled a lot at night riding on donkey carts and bicycles without reflectors, putting them at risk of being casualties of road accidents.

As a solution, Ms Mokgweetsi said reflective stickers will be pasted on donkey carts and bicycles while farmers will be provided with reflective jackets so that they could be visible when travelling at night.

However, Ms Mokgweetsi cautioned farmers that the reflectors and jackets were not a guarantee of ultimate safety urging them to always be vigilant and observant when using the road. Meanwhile another official from Karowe Mine, Mrs Mmapula Gabaitiri said since farming activities were labour intensive, farmers must always wear protective clothing while engaging on their daily chores.

She also urged them to be cautious when handling chemicals and sharp objects.Farmers were also advised to exercise care when handling fire to avoid veldt fires. She appealed to farmers to always bear in mind that they stay far from health facilities and therefore a clean environment will reduce chances of being attacked by snakes, scorpions and other crawling insects.Speaking on behalf of farmers, Mr Keitumetse Tiroyamodimo advised farmers to avoid riding on donkey carts and bicycles while under the influence of alcohol or at night. Ends