23 Feb 2025

From classrooms to uninhabitable houses, teachers were among those hardest hit by the impact of the relentless torrential downpour that swept the whole country last week. 

With murky floodwaters mixed with overflowing drainage waste surging past their yards and into their homes, civil servants voiced their grievances to BOPA. 

The air was thick with the stench of damp furniture and drenched students’ books, which were piled on the floor, while mud clung to the tiled surface of his overturned, evacuated government house. 

Nanogang Junior Secondary School’s music teacher, Mr Thuso Gaamangwe, shared his plight. 

“This house is completely uninhabitable,” said Mr Gaamangwe, who lamented the damage to his home appliances and cherished musical instruments. 

“We have been complaining about this poor drainage and the state of the houses to the relevant authorities for almost 10 years, to no avail. 

As it is, I fear this cracked wall is going to collapse if nothing is done soon,” he added. 

Mr Gaamangwe’s grievances were echoed by colleagues and neighbours who expressed frustration over the lack of response to the flooding crisis. 

Another victim, was Mr Samuel Segaraise, a Design and Technology teacher from Bokamoso Junior Secondary School, whose home stood encircled by the foul floodwaters. 

His only point of entry and exit  is a gap cut in the fence between him and his neighbour, turning private boundaries into a shared pathway. 

“I have lived here for seven years, and nothing has ever been done to fix this poor drainage situation. 

My one prayer is always that it just doesn’t rain, because when it does, my neighbour and I bear the full brunt of the storm,” said Mr Segaraise. ENDS