In the aftermath of the floods
Leinanyana Tsiane | Friday April 24, 2015 15:27
D’Kar is a settlement located 35 kilometres West of Gantsi town along Maun-Gantsi road, whose residents are mostly Basarwa, although there are tribes such as Bakgalagadi, Bangologa and others. While the Dutch Reformed Church owns D’Kar it receives various services from government ranging from healthcare, water and schools.
The floods left their unwelcome mark on the small settlement, as seen by a Mmegi newscrew in the area. Following the rains and the floods, 200 people were left homeless and 52 homes destroyed.
D’Kar was the most affected among the Kuke, Grootlagte and Qabo settlements. Pools of water are still visible along Gantsi-Maun road about five kilometres before D’Kar, spreading into the forest.
When watched from a distance, the water glitters and gives the forest a spectacular sight, belying the health risks that standing water pose.
Entering D’Kar, even stronger evidence of the floods is visible, especially amongst the homesteads hardest hit. Green government tents pitched up at these homes are a reminder of the state assistance rendered to alleviate the impact of the floods. The worst affected homes appear to be those where the structures were originally shacks and thus could not withstand the powerful waters.
With the shacks made of plastic bags and the roofing of mere cardboard, these makeshift homes were easily swept away and their residents original plight, only worsened.
Roads in the settlement are a nightmare to motorists as the floodwaters have exposed huge stones previously covered by overburden. Now motorists are grinding out makeshift tracks to drive on.
“Our vehicles got stuck in trenches that were dug to install water pipelines,” says D’Kar councillor, Nana Mothibi.
“We couldn’t see a thing because of the waters and they became stuck. “This happened as we were evacuating people from their flooded homes.” The flood victims wear heavy faces as they relate how the heavy rains and resultant floods shattered their lives.
“Water entered my house. My clothes and blankets became wet and the water destroyed all my food. I also lost nine bags of cement, which I was keeping in the house,” says Lenah Mothibi, the councillor’s sister.
She bemoans the fact that despite the loss, she is yet to receive help or any donation from the authorities. According to Lenah, the only people assisted are those who were evacuated to D’Kar Primary School.
“I did not go to the school because my sister rescued me.” Ncisa Gosiame lost everything she ever owned. Her clothes, food, blankets were washed away by the floods. Elsewhere in the settlement, Oxwa Xaxe, was similarly affected.
“Water entered our small house and it was up to knee level. We had to sit on the bed until we were rescued and taken to D’Kar Primary School,” she says.
According to the councillor, the situation in some families was worsened by water that came gushing out from a quarry pit dug during the construction of the Gantsi-D’Kar road.
Mothibi says the response from donors has been strong, many people are still knocking at her door complaining that they have not received help. “I think the problem is that some people were rescued by their families and therefore did not register their names so that they could be helped. But this is something that we will try to resolve with the relevant authorities,” Mothibi explains.
Donations in the form of clothes and food have been pouring into D’Kar. The Botswana Red Cross recently donated bales of clothes while Botswana Meat Commission gave victims 1,800 tins of corned beef.
Gantsi North legislator, Noah Salakae has helped out and also called on church leaders to assist.
The floods did not only leave D’Kar residents homeless. They will probably also leave them hungry, as most crops planted suffered water damage during the disaster. As far as the eye can see lie dead maize crops.
“We are not going to harvest a thing. Even the little we had expected before the floods is all dead. Unless Good Samaritans come to our rescue, we won’t survive,” one resident says sadly.