A number of the houses are on the brink of collapse and have been rendered inhabitable as a result of the cracks.
“Our houses are continuously cracking and the situation is so serious that we fear the worst. These houses are not habitable at all,” declared Daisy Ikaneng an employee of the FCC. She said she has continuously reported the matter to the council’s maintenance department and they have been very responsive.
“They have patched up some of the visible cracks. The unfortunate thing is that more cracks develop even after maintenance,” she said worriedly.
Marcia Motiki, an occupant of a BHC house in the same area, was concerned that the house she occupies has developed huge cracks internally and externally.
“We can literally see through one of the cracks in the sitting room. What can you do when there is shortage of accommodation in the city? The efforts of the BHC maintenance teams are clear but the unfortunate thing is the recurrence of the cracks”.
BHC estates manager in Francistown, Olefile Segokgo told Mmegi that about three houses owned by the BHC have been hit by the problem.
“We are actually working on them and are currently maintaining the last of the three houses affected,” said Segokgo. He said the problem could be encouraged by the black cotton soil on which the houses are built. He however, indicated that the BHC would continue to monitor the situation to ensure that things do not get out of hand.
conditions - the black cotton soil - has been observed to be gradually affecting other houses”. The report continues by saying “that cracks initially observed in the houses have worsened and the houses are starting to show increasing structural failure. From the rate of increase in the development of the cracks, we have observed that the buildings will eventually come to a point where they will not be safe for habitation. We estimate that in about two to three months from May 2000, some houses will have to be evacuated”.
It is surprising that to date, some houses are still occupied.
Francistown and the North East district have many old mining shafts that are dangerous. However a link between the presence of the old mining shafts and the cracking houses could not be established.
