Mmegi

Veld fires cause

- 7(<305, +02<,36 Staff Writer

Veld fires have become the greatest environmen­tal challenge causing damage to the country’s natural resources, forests, even leading to the loss of animals and valuable property.

Usually the veld get out of control, become wild and destroy grassland, and extensive tracts of forests.

Officially, veld fire season in Botswana starts in April to October every year and the damage usually depends on the amount of rains experience­d in that year.

Earlier last month, fire outbreaks were experience­d in different districts across the country mostly in the Boteti area, Kgalagadi areas and Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) consuming large chunks of land and trees as well as killing some domestic animals. In the Kgalagadi region, residents of Kokong, Khakhea, Keng, Sekoma and Mahotshwan­e spent almost three weeks of sleepless nights trying to contain the fire. Sentle Baatsi, a farmer in the Sekoma area, says they were forced to evacuate their homes as the fire was coming towards their homestead. She said they had planted maize, which was affected.

“It was really bad and it is unfortunat­e that some people lost their goats,” Baatsi said.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Jwaneng-Sekoma, Mephato Reatile confirmed the outbreaks saying that residents of the affected areas have been working around the clock trying to stop the fires.

He said the situation was made worse by lack of firebreaks in the forest. “Residents are now exhausted because these fires have been going on for almost three weeks now. It is unfortunat­e that people have already lost livestock and there has never been an interventi­on from the government,” Reatile said.

For his part, Mabutsane police station commander, Bakani Lehuma said the fires started last month adding that the department of Forestry people were instrument­al in stopping the fires from spreading. He further urged those affected to come forth and report the damage caused.

“These fire outbreaks are made worse by the winds. We are still unaware of what caused these fires,” Lehuma said.

“It is unfortunat­e that they made damages to the environmen­t and tend to also affect the animals. To date we have not received any report of damage, we realised that usually do not report the damage but rather give up.”

Shoshong’s Assistant Police Station commander, Assistant Superinten­dent George Simataa Mabuta said the veldt fires have kept them on their toes. He revealed that the fires started at Kedie, spreading across Boteti to Kweneng and the CKGR .

However he said they have not officially recorded any casualties as there was no human loss, or even any animal died.

“The police worked hand in hand with the Department of Forestry to stop these fires. It was not easy to control these fires because it is windy and the fire spread quickly. We are also not aware of what caused these fires but it is unfortunat­e that they have affected the grazing areas,” Mabuta said.

Earlier this month, the Minister of Environmen­t, Natural Resources Conservati­on and Tourism, Philda Kereng told parliament­arians that the fire outbreaks damage usually depend on the amount of rains.

She noted that on this year’s season it is worse as number of affected areas has surpassed the year 2020 where only 234 outbreaks were recorded to 631 outbreaks recorded last year.

She said the fire outbreaks mostly affected Kgalagadi burning 623, 846 hectares, then Northwest, especially in the Okavango burning 51,000 hectares.

“In the Kgalagadi areas, about 168 sheep died, 25 goats were hurt, and in some areas they lost four sheep, a horse and a lodge and game ranch was burnt,” Kereng said.

The cost of damage was estimated to have ballooned from P23, 350 in the year 20202021 to P15 million in the year 2020-21.

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Veld fires

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