Heavy rains cause misery in Monarch
The long wait for decent rain came to an emphatic end on Sunday evening as the heavens opened above Francistown and the Pula came pouring down.
Considering the prolonged dry spell that went before, which caused government to declare a drought, the rains were a welcome relief to many.
In Monarch, however, smiles were in short supply.
The heavy rains led to minor flooding in the area, with several residents watching helplessly as their homes became swamped by water.
Many were kept up through the night, including The Voice’s Kitso Ramono, frantically mopping the seeping water in a desperate attempt to limit the damage.
Despite this, walking around the streets of Monarch on Monday, one could see families removing sodden furniture and other damp belongings to dry out in the sun.
Amid the despair, there was anger too.
Speaking to The Voice, a stalwart of the location, Janet Maseko, blamed the flooding on Monarch’s drainage system.
“We have long complained about the poor drainage system that they have constructed, which is quite small and badly situated. When it rains, the culverts that are designed to absorb water from the land’s surface to the nearby rivers are unable to sustain even small units of water, which overflow into people’s homes,” said Maseko, who has spent her entire life in Monarch.
The old timer wants the culverts covered to prevent overflow.
‘Until this happens, the people will suffer whenever it rains!” she warned.
Meanwhile, specially-elected Councillor, Otsile Moses, revealed they have identified seven homes hit by the rain and are providing appropriate help.
“We have seven families who came to report to us that the rain has done a lot of damage to their homes, such as damaging furniture, food and even flooding the house. I can assure you that the said families have been liaised with social workers for assistance,” said Moses.
With the forecast predicting more big rains this week, the people of Monarch will be nervously watching the sky in the coming days.
