23 Feb 2025

The public has been cautioned to guard against water borne diseases as floods can negatively impact on public health. 

Boteti East MP, Mr Keoagile Atamelang said on Friday during  tour of villages affected by floods that exposure to contaminated water may lead to diarrhoea, cholera and mosquito borne illnesses like malaria. 

He further said overflowing pit latrines due to floods may contaminate water calling on parents to restrict their children’s movement.  

Mr Atamelang expressed concern that floods have disrupted people’s movement to access public services, adding that there was also shortage of transport for use by social welfare officers who were helping affected families. 

He commended Debswana and Lucara for assisting to pump out water from flooded homes in Xhumo and Mokobaxane. For his part, the District Commissioner Mr Motshwariemang Matseka said only one person who was a nursing mother was relocated in Xhumo, adding that some families chose to remain in their homes citing fears that criminals might steal their properties. 

Mr Matseka said they have engaged the District Health Management Team to respond urgently to the situation of Xhumo as diseases like diarrhoea and malaria were likely to rise. 

He further said that they have started distributing mosquito nets to families in Boteti, but have not yet covered other villages like Xhumo and Mokobaxane due to shortage. 

He said a long term solution to address flooding in homes was to have a drainage system for the village. The Council Secretary Mr Mpaphi Kgomotso indicated that there were 50 affected households and 232 family members. 

Mr Kgomotso said they managed to allocate food baskets to 23 households. 

Kgosi Seikgotheng Ntshumbiwa of Xhumo also said that floods had displaced people from their homes. ENDS