11 Mar 2014

Government has no intention to dam Thamalakane River, says the minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Nonofo Molefhi.

Answering a question in Parliament on March 10, Minister Molefhi said the current gravel working platform was a temporary structure and was part of the method statement the contractor proposed for the construction of the new Thamalakane Bridge.

He said the working platform did not in any way affect the flow of the river at the bridge site and would be removed permanently when the construction of the bridge across the river was completed in August 2014.

Minister Molefhi said since the design of the bridge was done when the river was not flowing coupled with the fact that the project was shelved due to economic downturn, an Addendum to the Environmental Impact Assessment was done afterwards where the community was fully consulted on the 26th April 2007 in Maun kgotla by Roads Department and the EIA Consultant.

The minister was answering a question from the Member of Parliament for Maun East Mr Frank Ramsden who wanted to know if government had decided to dam the Thamalakane River, if so, whether an environment impact assessment was conducted and what were the findings and recommendations.

He also wanted to know whether the residents of the area were consulted and when the existing dam wall would be removed if the river was not dammed. ENDS