20 Sep 2022

Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi says although short-term measures were in place to maintain the cordon fence between Matsiloje and Dikgatlhong Dam, it was time long-term measures were employed.

Speaking during interactions with ministry employees who maintain the fence during his inspection of the fence from Matsiloje to Dikgatlhong in Zone 6b on Sunday, Mr Molebatsi said one way of achieving long-term solutions was by increasing resources.

He said the purpose of his visit was to familiarise himself with and appreciate the status of the fence and challenges encountered after part of Zone 6b from Tsamaya Extension area was contaminated by Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).

Mr Molebatsi said more resources, included manpower, tractors, trucks, fences and other machinery were needed to reduce the manual work and to speed up the process.

He said one of the critical issues was security as employees maintaining the fence worked under insecure conditions such as roaming dangerous animals in the likes of elephants.

He said the over arching short-term goal was to curb FMD in the area and to stop cattle from crossing from Zimbabwe into Botswana.

Mr Molebatsi said a long-term solution for the entire country was neededthough what was implemented around Tuli Block would help.

He said it was not sustainable to use over P100 million in maintenance every 10 years, saying the money could be used in one financial year to provide long-term solutions.

Mr Molebatsi urged ministry employees to know the required resources that would enable them to achieve their daily activities.

He said he now had a full appreciation of the damages along the fence and the work that was done on a daily basis to maintain the fence.

For his part, North East District agriculture coordinator, Mr Gwilizani Maposa said the fence from Ramokgwebana to Matsiloje was damaged by people who smuggled such goods as petrol, food and illegal substances.

The fence from Matsiloje to Dikgatlhong, he said, was mostly damaged by elephants and livestock.

One of the technical assistants maintaining the fence, Mr Mathews Ntwaetsile said they worked every day to repair the fence and that skipping a day would be disastrous.

Mr Ntwaetsile suggested that more rail poles should be used to substitute gum poles.

He noted that elephants broke the rails to enable young ones to cross the fence.

He said there were areas where they used strong wire similar to the one used by Botswana Power Corporation, but that they had to leave some spaces to enable young elephants to cross, because otherwise they would destroy the whole fence, which was on their migratory route. ENDS