29 Dec 2023

Recent heavy downpours in Mahalapye left a trail of destruction in the area triggering concerns due to poor storm water drainage in the area. Speaking in an interview on December 28, Mahalapye District Commissioner, Mr Ernest Phiri said there was need for a storm water drainage system upgrade to keep the area free from flooding. Because topography of Mahalapye was sloping, he said it made the area prone to floods. He said plans were afoot to come up with a better storm water drainage system to address the situation. Meanwhile, he said many families that were affected by recent rains received appropriate help. “As for some, water was flowing into houses and sought refuge from relatives, and Office of the District Commissioner assisted affected families with groceries,” he said. He said they monitored affected families to ascertain the kind of help they needed. Mr Phiri said during construction of roads it was vital to also build network of trenches besides the roads to help channel storm water away from homes to rivers. He said two people, a three-year-old and a 15-year-old lost their lives following the recent heavy downpours while the search for the third one aged 24 was on-going. The man is believed to have drowned in Mahalapye River. He said Disaster Management Team surveyed the area to get first-hand information on the extent of damages so as to come up with a comprehensive plan to prevent such incidents in the future. Ends