Africa-Press – Botswana. Government is set to develop and optimise the economic value of Segoditshane River canal.
This follows adoption of a motion on March 24, which requested government to make such a decision which was tabled by Gaborone Central Member of Parliament, Mr Tumisang Healy recently.
Tabling the motion, Mr Healy had indicated that Segoditshane River, which emanates from the Gabane hills and flowed through Gaborone, was of significance as several places were named after it.
Such places he said included the village of Mogoditshane, Segoditshane Primary School, Segoditshane Drive and there was a ward in Gaborone also named after the river, showing the significance it had on the locality.
He argued that developing and optimising the waterway value would unlock economic benefits for Gaborone and the entire country.
He indicated that the Segoditshane waterway stretched for nearly 14km within the city of Gaborone and surrounded by about 440 hectares of land.
“This river basically cuts through the city of Gaborone. It runs all the way from Mogoditshane passing through Tsolamosese, Block 9 and Block 5 into the heart of Gaborone passing through Ginger, Tsholofelo, Notwane and Maruapula all the way to Gaborone Game Reserve,” he said.
In its current form, he said the water stream was surrounded by residential area with no interaction with it, therefore limiting its significance.
“Currently, the river is a menace to those residing in its periphery and the rainy season for the people of Gaborone brings misery as the water floods their places,” he said.
He added that the river stream coupled with the thicket forest surrounding it was a haven for criminals, and that made it difficult to traverse at night and even during the day. Similarly, he said the river stream was used as a dumping site for domestic waste.
Further, Mr Healy said efforts were made in the past to rehabilitate the river included among others, a joint force by government and European Union in 2014 aimed at restoring and protecting the ecological health of the river and its surroundings.
“The project was to improve water quality, reduce soil erosion and enhance its biodiversity, promoting sustainable land use practices and reducing the effects of human activities on the river and it ecosystem. It also aimed at restoring and rehabilitating degraded areas along the water stream as well as promoting sustainable agriculture practice. The river present an opportunity for urban farming,” he said.
He added that the attempted joint project was to develop educational and recreational facilities along the banks of the river stream as well as enhance awareness and public participation in environmental conservation.
Albeit tabling such a motion, Mr Healy said there was a master plan to develop the Segoditshane River which would be implemented through the Ministry of Lands and Water affairs during the next financial year.
According to the Segoditshane River corridor master plan, he said the project incorporated both residential and commercial plots including recreational activities.
“I am tabling this motion well aware that there is a master plan aimed at implementing a similar project and that does not stop such a motion as it has occurred in the past for plans to be drawn and never implemented,” he said.
He explained that the motion was to influence policy and legislation and urge government to account and commit towards developing the Segoditshane River corridor as it carried economic potential.
Supporting the motion, Serowe North MP, Mr Baratiwa Mathoothe said developing Segoditshane River would be a landmark project that would guide how similar landscapes across the country could be developed to be of economic benefit to the people.
Mr Mathoothe said the development was a tourism and business opportunity as well as a facelift on the city’s outlook.
Goodhope/Mabule MP, Mr Eric Molale said preserving the Segoditshane landmark could turnaround the face of Gaborone. Mr Molale said large volumes of water freely flowed through the river every rainy season and never put to good use, therefore with the proposed development the water would be captured, preserved and used to anchor economic activities.
He said leisure, recreation, tourism and urban farming were some of the activities that would be catered for by developing the Segoditshane River as proposed by the motion.
Opposing the motion, Francistown West MP, Mr Ignatius Moswaane had urged Parliament to reject the motion arguing that it was a replicate of what was being done through the Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs as well as Gaborone City Council (GCC).
“It is unfortunate that an activity that is already planned for is presented again in Parliament,” Mr Moswaane said.
For his part, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi of Francistown South had also indicated that the GCC and the then Ministry of Tourism as well as the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) came up with plans on how to develop the Segoditshane River and all that had stalled was implementation.
“The last thing that was done by the city council was to submit their plan to the Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs to finalise the proposed project,” he said.
He indicated that in the recent past, ward councillors along the river had engaged in meetings briefing the community on the proposed project, urging them to take advantage of the projected opportunities.
“It is not necessary to engage on something that was being implemented,” Mr Mmolotsi said.
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