17 Dec 2024

Houses in Medie were already showing signs of cracking before Minergy Coal Mine started operations, the Minister of Minerals and Energy, Ms Bogolo Kwenewendo has said.

Answering a question in Parliament on Monday, the minister said a baseline assessment undertaken as part of the environmental and social management programme was conducted and it determined that some houses in Medie were already cracked and others were developing cracks, even before the mine started blasting.

The minister said although a detailed follow up of the study was never undertaken to determine the root cause of the cracks, it was concluded that the most probable cause could be the sandy soils in the area, with the standards of construction as a contributing factor.

Minister Kenewendo said a preliminary study was conducted by the Botswana Geoscience Institute (BGI) in 2023 and it did not show that the issue could be related to mining. 

The seismic study was currently being undertaken by BGI and was scheduled to be completed this year, Minister Kenenwendo said.

She said the study had to wait for a conclusion of a similar study undertaken by BGI at Hatsalatladi (near Medie) which also experienced natural ground movement.

The minister said the mine measured ground vibration and air blasting to monitor the situation.

“This monitoring has been part of the mining activities since the first blast to date, and will continue until mining operations cease,” she said.

She explained that the mine used low energy explosives and noted that she was hopeful the BGI study would provide answers to the root cause of the cracking of houses in Medie.

The minister further said the mining company, Minergy Coal and its partners were involved in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities around the village and Kweneng District and had contributed a total of P700 000 despite the challenges they faced.

Through the CSR, the company has undertaken various projects among them the rehabilitation of the dam to be used by farmers for livestock.

Lentsweleta/ Lephephe MP, Mr Tshenolo Bogatsu had asked the minister if she was aware of the damages caused to houses in Medie due to blasting at the coal mine and the remedial actions that would be put in place to rehabilitate the damaged houses.

He also wanted to know the company’s CSR projects in Medie. Ends