27 Feb 2014

Twenty-three volunteers of Botswana Red Cross Society (BRCS) are on a week-long training on disaster management at Lesoma in the Chobe District.

The volunteers from across Botswana are being trained by the International Federation of the Red Cross, National disaster Management Office (NDMO) and BRCS.

The regional disaster coordinator, Mr Stanley Ndhlovu, said organisers had already trained disaster operatives in Zambia, Namibia, Malawi and Swaziland. Mr Ndhlovu said people should always be ready to respond because disasters would always strike.

“If you cannot avoid it, let us try minimising it,” he said. The Chobe District commissioner, Dr Temba Mmusi, said the workshop took place at the right time because people needed education about disaster management. Dr Mmusi said disasters were different and included volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis and other geological processes.

He said countries that usually suffered natural disasters might be far but as seasons changed, the same could happen in Botswana. He stressed that the workshop happened at an appropriate time as around April, May and June. The district experienced disasters such as flooding and wild fires.

Kgosi Lesoma Lesoma of Lesoma said the Chobe District experienced natural disasters such as floods, especially at Satau in the Chobe west enclave. ENDS