In Tsabong, temperatures reached 43.5 degrees Celsius, breaking a record set in January 1970, while in Tshane, the mercury hit 41 degrees, smashing a 43-year-old record. Batswana sweltered under the searing sun, some fortunate enough to be indoors and cooled by fans and air-conditioners. However, not everyone was fortunate. Many Batswana, particularly those in the industrial and menial labour classes, found themselves stuck in fields and other unsafe working areas, forced to continue eking out a living despite the searing temperatures. Others were put at greater risk than average due to pre-existing medical conditions and age. All told, the record heatwave left a trail of deaths countrywide, with three confirmed cases in Ramotswa and others suspected in areas such as Mmankgodi and Kopong.
As the nation struggles to process this carnage in the collective psyche, we are astonished to find that even here, bureaucracy and crass officialdom stand in the way of adequately informing, educating and empowering Batswana in the midst of a crisis.
