SEDC counts the cost of flooding
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Thursday March 16, 2017 15:30
Yesterday, SEDC chairman, Phenyo Segokgo told the first full council meeting that the recent floods wreaked havoc across the district.
“The railway line along the Taung River tributaries was affected, while some departments at the Bamalete Lutheran Hospital and staff houses were affected by floods,” he said.
“At least 35 households along the Notwane River in Ramotswa were affected, with six families assisted with food baskets, three provided with blankets and one family was moved to the community hall.”
Elsewhere in the district, 10 more families comprising 44 people in Mogobane were provided with appropriate assistance.
“Six families in Otse were affected and assistance was availed. Three vegetable gardens, poultry and piggery projects, 16 donkeys, 25 goats were also reported to have been damaged, injured and/or killed by flooding,” Segokgo said.
The chairman said in the aftermath of the floods, sporadic cases of Lumpy Skin Disease have been reported in some livestock. Lumpy Skin is a viral disease of cattle spread by biting insects, whose numbers often balloon in the aftermath of flooding, aided by standing water.
Segokgo urged councillors to tell the public to be on the lookout for any abnormalities that might be observed in animals.
“That notwithstanding, I want to believe that since the heavy rains have now ceased and water levels in dams and other catchments are now normal, every department concerned has started to attend to the affected properties and infrastructure so that life can go back to normal for our people,” he said.
Moving to other issues, Segokgo said statistics show that crime has slightly dropped compared to the same time last year.
However, due to mushrooming of construction at Magope and Disana areas, there is vandalism as well as incidents of criminals stealing electric cables and sockets from unoccupied houses.
“Another worrisome issue is the increase in suicide incidents recorded. Fourteen inquest dockets were recorded during the year 2016 which shows an increase of six from the previous year,”
“The increase shows that people still do not heed the police advice that they should always seek professional help whenever they are faced with challenges or problems instead of resorting to suicide,” he said.