13 Nov 2022

Residents of Hatsalatladi and Ditshukudu have welcomed Botswana Geo-Science Institute to investigate the sinkholes that are common in the area.

The depressions have damaged both residential and government property as well as affecting Molepolole-Lephephe road.

Lentsweletau-Lephephe, Member of Parliament, Ms Nnaniki Makwinja applauded government for funding the institution to carry out investigations. Ms Makwinja said the same investigations would be done in Medie where houses had cracked.

Kgosi Sakie Gabanagae of Hatsalatladi said they had experienced problems of sinking holes for years, precisely from his primary school days.

He said in the beginning they were not worrisome but became problematic around 2016 when  it started damaging infrastructure and buildings. He said the sinkholes or depressions got worse during the rainy season.

In an interview, Botswana Geo-Science Institute project manager, Mr Koketso Jackson said their institution mainly monitored geo-hazards.

He said such hazards were reported in 2016 but they did not have funds to carry out investigations.

He said they had partnered with the University of Botswana and Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BUIST) in the exercise.

“My team and I will be approaching this issue from any geological way to find out why this breakage has happened, how to control it or stop it and also ways on what the community can do when experiencing it in their homes or farms,” he said.

Mr Jackson urged the community to wait for their report to help assist the land board because they were in charge of allocating land to the people. He added that the investigation would take about six months or more.

Lentsweletau sub landboard chairperson, Mr Vincent Tsie stated that the breakage mostly affected Hatsalatladi village and Ditshukudu farms.

Therefore, he said they would not be allocating residential plots in Hatsalatladi until completion of investigation by the Geo-Science institute.

Hatsalatladi Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson, Mr Pontsho Kaitse stated that the phenomenon had negatively affected developments in the village as they had to be suspended.

He therefore urged government to compensate people whose property had been affected. ENDS