11 Nov 2025

As the country continues to experience rains, residents of the North West region have been urged to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their properties from flooding threats.

North West district commissioner Mr Thabang Waloka revealed in an interview that the district is highly susceptible to floods hence it is advisable for residents to start inspecting and strengthening their houses to prevent water damage and structural deterioration.

He said it was unfortunate as some economically-challenged residents still used rudimentary materials such as mud and cans to construct residential structures, which he said made the houses prone to damage from heavy rains and floods.

“We are anticipating more rainfall this year and yet most of our households are on floodplains. As such I urge residents to take precautions focusing on home preparedness to mitigate damage,” he said.

Mr Waloka emphasised the importance of carrying of maintenance proactively and clearing of potential hazards around properties. He said late last year and early this year, the district experienced heavy rains that led to a significant impact including damage to property, threats to life and a disruption of livelihoods.

The torrential rains, he said, also caused flash floods, leading to the collapse of some mud houses while some families experienced stagnant water in their homes, making accessibility into their properties difficult. Mr Waloka said the flooding had also made some roads across the district impassable.

As is usually the case, he said the district disaster response committee was well prepared in case of emergencies, citing that evacuation centres had been identified and other relief items such as tents had been sourced.

Furthermore, he said the heavy rains did not only cause damage to property and posed a risk to human life as well. He said such rains could also lead to other disastrous incidents such as disease outbreaks and loss of crops and livestock.

Mr Waloka cited that stagnant water could exacerbated the risk of water and mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and thus encouraged residents to keep their environment clean all the time. He said proper environmental management and good sanitation were crucial parts of integrated malaria control strategies.

“Malaria is a dangerous disease that can be fatal if not treated properly, as such I advise members of the community to be alert and do the right thing more so that our district is prone to the disease”.

With regard to ploughing, he said last year farmers did not have a bumper harvest because of low rainfall at the start of the cropping season while the heavier rains which were received later did not have the desired impact to their lateness.

Mr Waloka therefore advised farmers to plough on time and make use of the good early rains, saying timely planting was important for a successful harvest. ENDS