Floods once again hit Francistown
Pini Bothoko | Wednesday March 2, 2016 18:00
The rainfall started last week Thursday and lasted for three days leaving many families stranded, after their homes were flooded.
Commenting on the mayor’s speech, councillors on Monday blamed the floods on the city’s poor water drainage system. Councillors said many homes and the main road were flooded, pleading for the council’s immediate intervention to avoid more floods in future.
Tatitown councillor Gaethusi Ramolotsana said the city roads are poorly drained, narrow and this causes storm water drainages to overflow causing floods.
He blamed the poorly constructed roads which are without proper water drainage. “Over the weekend I saw some families at Monarch location draining water from their houses and you can imagine the damage the rain has caused,” said Ramolotsana.
“I know that the council currently does not have money to implement the storm water drainage master plan but there is a need to come up with a comprehensive storm water facility to alleviate the problem of flooding,” said Ramolotsana.
Councillor Jenamiso Mojaki shared Ramolotsana’s sentiments saying floods are a health hazard to the whole community of Francistown as they do not only pose a health risk to residents and pedestrians, but have become a major hazard to motorists on the road.
Councillor Gaone Majere said since the city needs to attract investors, they do not want problems associated with floods as they can disturb and cause a slowdown in the city’s economic activities.
“Residents of Garden View location are being tormented by floods every time when it rains but the council is failing to assist them. This concerns me because these are the people who pay service levy and rates but we are failing to assist them,” said Majere.
Councillor Lesego Kwambala called on the council to construct a proper water drainage system for water to easily flow when it rains.
Areas that occasionally experience floods when it rains are Block One, Area W, River View, Kgaphamadi, Maipaafela, Ntshe, Satellite and Somerset to mention but a few.
With efforts to tackle storm water drainage problems that the city has been encountering for years, city major Sylvia Muzila recently told Mmegi that the council intends to construct roads with storm water drainage.
The council has a P2 billion storm water drainage master plan project that was once included in the National Development Plan 10 but was shelved due to lack of funds.
Meanwhile, councillors also raised concern over the use of pit latrines in some areas in the city, stating that time has come for all the locations to use water system toilets.
Delivering her speech, Muzila advised councillors to mobilise people to utilise the Self Help Housing Agency (SHHA) programme and convert pit latrines into water borne toilets.