03 Feb 2014

Traffic along the A1 highway near Serule has been back to normal since Saturday (February 1) after being put to a halt the whole of Friday (January 31).

The bridge at the Serule River was submerged by the overflowing water, leaving travellers north and south bound stranded on either side of the bridge. Superintended Otsile Baodirile from Serowe Police Station told BOPA in an interview that thousands of travellers that day either had to turn back or wait the whole day for the water to subside.

He said some travellers who were inpatient took a life risk and resorted to crossing the overflowing bridge even though the police tried to stop them.

In a random interview with some travellers, Ms Tshwaragano Itumeleng, who was travelling from Serowe to Francistown, expressed concern that she had an appointment with a doctor in Francistown and was unable to go for medical checkup. She said her plan was to visit her field in the Tonota area, but her mission was not accomplished.

Ms Itumelenge said she arrived at the scene around 9am and waited for more than seven hours, hoping that the situation would change, but to no avail. She resorted to returning to Serowe.

Another traveller, Ms Keletso Oboletswe said she was travelling from Palapye to Francistown for an important business meeting. She did not make it. In the Meantime, there was a 1.5km queue of trucks, buses and light vehicles along the road from the Serule River extending beyond Phikwe junction. ENDS