15 Feb 2021

At least six households, a public institution and a business were reported to have been severely affected by the heavy down pours that befell Kasane on February 10.

In an interview with Chobe District commissioner, Ms Sekgabo Makgosa recently, she explained that three teachers’ houses at Chobe Junior Secondary School were reported among the six affected households. 

She said one of the three teachers’ houses was severely affected as all the household goods were soaked in the rain water. Ms Makgosa, who chairs the District Disaster Management Committee, said the affected family had to temporarily be relocated as everything in the house including beds were wet.

She said the other three affected households were in Plateau, where a multi-residence yard with nine rooms was covered in water up to knee-level. She said all affected families were assessed by council’s Social and Community Development officers and food and commodities were procured for them.

Ms Makgosa said the council mobilised its own equipment and hired a private JCB to channel out water from the affected yards. She further said Kasane hospital’s Infectious Disease Control Centre and Chobe Marina Lodge were also affected by the torrential downpour mainly because one storm water trench was blocked by litter.

She noted that the council’s roads unit and the Department of Roads were currently working together to come up with interventions of ensuring that the situation did not repeat. She observed that flooding came about because it rained heavily for many hours and as a result storm water drainage system failed. Ends