Tati River rehabilitation underway
FRANCISTOWN: After years of degradation, the mighty Tati River is finally getting a much-needed rehabilitation.
The project, which began this week, aims to restore the river’s natural beauty and ecosystem. Over the years, human activities and climate change have taken a toll on Tati’s natural beauty and its role as a source of life.
Furthermore, there is undeniable proof that the river’s sand supply is completely depleted which has severely impacted the ecosystem’s sustainability and led to environmental degradation. This is primarily due to an increase in urban population and industrialisation.
The Tati River rehabilitation project was amongst the 16 that have been allocated funds out of the 110 countrywide proposals that were submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in September 2022 through the National Environmental Fund(NEF).
City of Francistown Council (COFC) spokesperson, Mandla Hlabano, confirmed on Wednesday that the Tati Rehabilitation project got underway on Monday.
He stated in an interview that about 40 people were hired for an initial three-month period and they have begun the process of clearing the river of weeds and other waste. Hlabano stated that the project will take up to 24 months to complete.
When addressing members of the media recently, Francistown mayor Godisang Radisigo said the Francistown City Council (FCC) through the Ward Development Committees (WDC) has been funded by the NEF to implement a Tati River revitalisation initiative by curbing weeds in the river.
The project was funded to a tune of over P1.4 million and will be supervised by the FCC in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), he added.
Godisang elaborated that in response to a government initiative on value chain development, the river weeds will be given additional value and packaged into animal feed.
Last year in June during a full council session, the Francistown mayor stated that the ministry established the NEF a few years ago to promote and provide financial support for projects that are geared towards the protection and conservation of the environment.
He said the Fund would be used to carry out the Tati Rehabilitation Project by the Francistown Phase IV and Bokamoso Umbrella Development Committees.
At the time, he noted that the project was also intended to control the growth of the reeds within the Tati River and its tributary Ntshe River systems, remove some waste within the river and construct gabions within the severely degraded portions of the river to allow accumulation of sand. Leaders in Francistown have for years been holding conversations with constituents and other stakeholders with a view to finding a long-lasting solution to the troubles bedeviling the Tati River.
The Member of Parliament for Francistown West, Ignatius Moswaane, whose constituency covers the bulk of the Tati River, is amongst those who for years have been fighting tooth and nail to save the river from total depletion.
Besides consulting his constituents, he has on several occasions pleaded with sponsors to fund a massive project to resuscitate the river from its imminent death.
Additionally, Phillip Matante East councillor, Uyapo Nyeku, once presented a motion before council in 2021 stating that the Tati River, which runs through the second city, has been degrading.
He stated that instead of controlling sand mining, they have permitted contractors to use the river for financial advantage.
“The Tati River was once the city’s main physical feature and a popular spot for residents to spend free time. Individuals, including students, used it as a shortcut to get to various locations. “Because of the reeds and miniature forest, nobody does that anymore,” he continued.
Nyeku also said they could have used the Tati River for tourism and recreational purposes if the sand had not been illegally mined.
Nyeku said the motion served as a deliberate management strategy through a multi-sectoral approach led by the relevant ministry.
On a different note during the same press briefing, it was revealed that P659 223.77 has been availed under the same fund for landscaping of the Blue Jacket Street.
According to the City Mayor, the funds entail planting trees from BMC Traffic Lights to Dumela Industrial Site and hard landscaping of the interchange grounds.
The project, which also commenced on Monday, will engage 17 locals for a period of 10 months.