Floods recede, but trauma remains
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Thursday March 6, 2025 13:34
Several families in Tlokweng were recently left stranded and their belongings destroyed by water from Notwane River which passed through the village. As a result of heavy rains, the river overflowed as the Gaborone Dam’s capacity was surpassed, which lead to the spillage. The situation was traumatising especially for expectant mothers whose pregnancies and due dates coincided with the terrifying floods. Malebogo Monametsi* became one of the most touching stories of the recent floods, a story of hope, survival, and rebirth in the midst of terror and destruction.
The Monitor is using a pseudonym for her as she has declined having her name used in the interview, citing the trauma she still experiences from the floods. Amidst all the confusion and panic, Monametsi found herself amongst the thousands of Tlokweng residents who watched helplessly as the waters of the Notwane River surged and swallowed their homes. What was supposed to be a joyous moment of bringing new life into the world, suddenly became a struggle for survival. Member of Parliament (MP) for Tlokweng, Phenyo Segokgo who spent the entire period of the floods engaging the community and mobilising rescue and support, revealed that the woman was safely evacuated and taken to Mafitlhakgosi Clinic. She safely gave birth to a healthy baby. “She was evacuated at Khollwane ward and she was heavily pregnant when they evacuated her. They placed her in a safe place at the Bahai Centre until Friday evening when it was evident she was on the verge of delivery. “They then took her to Mafitlhakgosi Clinic where she delivered the baby safely. “She is doing well and her baby is also healthy,” Segokgo told The Monitor on Friday.
In Tlokweng, residents are slowly recovering from the disaster. Many lost their properties and received disaster relief. However, they remain hopeful that somehow well-wishers, including government, might come to their rescue with some financial packages to help them rebuild their lives. Segokgo said the situation is slowly getting back to normal, revealing that from the initial 661 people who had been evacuated, only 45 remained in shelters. However, he pointed out that the destruction was massive for both businesses and residents of Tlokweng, estimating the loss at millions of pula since the roads were also damaged. Apart from the damaged property, concerns are now shifting to the potential for waterborne disease outbreaks associated with the receding floods. 'The health officials are in the Disaster Management Team and they are doing all their best to avert that even to communicate with residents, especially children to avoid playing in water as a preventative measure,” Segokgo said.
According to the MP, authorities in the area quickly realised the potential of flooding and took preventative action. “We arranged evacuation centres around the constituency and in fact before then we had evacuated 83 people because from Tuesday some homes were already submerged but the number rose to 661, which included 25 newborns. “So we separated them from the rest and they were lodged at the Bahai Centre. “By Friday evening everyone was safe and I would like to commend the District Management Team for averting any casualties,' he said. Looking to the future, Segokgo emphasised the need for proper stormwater drainage in the village as well as the desilting of the Notwane River. He also said there is a need to harvest water, especially the one coming from the Suping (South Africa) side. The village is slowly picking up the pieces. 'The disaster affected all our plans and everything had to stop to focus on the disaster. “All roads to Gaborone had to close, affecting economic activity in the whole village. “Businesses were affected and more than 50 cars were submerged and they were damaged. “Lack of resources also impacted us and we had to run around to request donations but I would like to thank the business community because they really came in handy to assist,' he said.