23 Feb 2025

A number of companies have come forward in support of the national flood relief efforts by offering donations in cash and kind following heavy rains experienced in some parts of the country.

 Minister for State President, Mr Moeti Mohwasa  has so far received donations from Chinese Enterprise Association, Fei Da, Orange Botswana and Liquid Intelligent Technologies.

Represented by Messrs Alex Jin and Li Qing, Chinese Enterprise Association offered heavy plant machinery to desilt and clear flood-prone areas especially the Segoditshane River.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies provided internet communication with the bandwidth of 100 megabits per second and it is fast regardless of location.

Chinese entrepreneur Mr Jin Hul Hul trading as Fei Da, donated shoes, blankets and food.

Orange Botswana through the chief executive officer, Ms Nene Maiga donated P100 000 and bottled water.

Ms Maiga said P100 000 was broken down to P54 000 for jet fuel and P46 000 for the relief team upkeep.

Choppies, Drones for Africa, Spar, Letshego, Pedro’s and Hungry Lion also showed solidarity.

Minister Mohwasa, thanked all for the unwavering support and commitment to helping vulnerable citizens.

He said the donations were distributed to affected families across the country through the Office of the District Commissioner.

“These donations will not only assist families in their time of need but also serve as preparation for future crisis” Mr Mohwasa stated.

The minister said there was need to liaise  with district commissioners across the country and the community to highlight areas that needed intervention in response to the anticipated heavy rains.

He said as some people were being evacuated, it was important to ensure that they were properly housed, clothed and fed.

Minister Mohwasa said they would register goods collected and conduct an audit so as to build confidence in the system.

He said the collaboration between government and businesses highlighted the importance of unity in the face of natural disasters and reinforced the need for ongoing preparedness to protect communities in the future.

Regarding the Segoditshane River, Mr Mohwasa  said although costly, mitigation measure were needed to manage flooding along the river which had often resulted in closure of Segoditshane Way.

In the past, temporary interventions to free movement of water in the river included removal of sand and other materials, pending implementation of the Segoditshane River Master Plan.

Gaborone mayor, Mr Oarabile Motlaleng said government appreciated the companies that were coming forth with relief interventions.

Other companies and individuals in flood affected areas across the country have also responded positively to assist victims. ENDS