By Kefiloe Kajane
Residents of Borokhoaneng – a densely populated village in Maseru – are in dire straits after last week’s torrents left many houses flooded and on the verge of collapse, while furniture was destroyed.
Upon theReporter’s visit to Borokhoanneng, we were welcomed by heart-wrenching sights of waterlogged and virtually impassable streets. Every household had drenched mats, beds, mattress, and clothes hanging on washing lines to dry.
Everyone was sitting outside to escape the musty and moldy stench emanating from the dampness inside – a sign that something was not right in their homes.
One of the victims of the destructive rains, Relebohile ‘Molotsi, said the rain caused a lot of damage not just in the house but around the house too, where it has washed away all her crops and vegetables.
She said this is a problem they experience every year since the construction of a car wash nearby in 2019, which is exacerbated by the absence of proper drainage system in their street.
“The car wash blocks the water from going down to the dam, so when it rains heavily the water is diverted to our yards.
It is a pity that the car wash is affecting so many people. We think a thorough research was not made when that car wash was being built, because all that water comes here. I have five rooms that I rent out, but my tenants have all moved out because of the water that gushes into their homes.
“I do not blame them. What else can they do? They are not bound to stay here but as for me on the other hand, this is my place and I have nowhere else to go. I have no choice but stay. This means I have lost my only source of income,” she lamented.
Another villager whose house has also been affected, ‘Mabatho Rampai, grew up in the same village but they never experienced the problem of flooding in the past.
Rampai also put the blame squarely on the car wash, recalling that during the construction of the building, they dug up troughs to direct water to the dam. They tried to raise the issue of potential flooding with the former land owner, but with little luck.
“These storms have affected us badly. All our furniture is destroyed and our electrical appliances have not been spared. We earnestly appeal to the government to intervene in this matter so that we can go back to living peacefully again without worrying every time it rains.
“We are not saying they should come build us houses. No, we have our own houses. We want them to bring expects to intervene and identify the source of the problem, so it can be fixed. Minister ‘Matebatso Doti has previously visited this area and promised to come back with an expert to solve our problem, but that never happened.
“This situation has caused a lot of discontent among neighbours. When your yard is flooded, you try to dig a farrow to channel the water out, but is spills into someone’s yard and they do not take it too kindly,” she said.
In a bid to address this problem, these residents of Borokhoaneng have taken it upon themselves to dig trenches to direct water from residential plots; these are visible in almost every corner of the village. Other have gone as far as employing people to do it.
But it has not helped.
Many houses that this publication visited have cracked walls. They have also accumulated mold, something that is as unpleasant to the eye as it is harmful to human health. In some cases, mold in a home can make one sick, especially if they have allergies or asthma. Mold exposure, according to health experts, can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs.
Speaking to theReporter the resident who is blamed for the community’s problems, Tefo Mokorosi, confirmed selling the piece of land to the car wash owner, but said he is not responsible for anything that happens there.
He said he does not understand why people blame the car wash when flooding is an age-old problem in the Borokhoaneng community.
He dismissed his fellow villagers’ concerns, saying are only looking for someone to blame.
Speaking to this publication, Maseru District Administrator Mpane Nthunya said his office was not aware of the Borokhoaneng fiasco.
“It is likely the incident has been reported to the Disaster Management Authority. I have heard that DMA is compiling a report on the extent of the destruction caused by the rain storms in different places.
Our attempts to get a comment from the member of parliament for Lithabaneng constituency, ‘Matebatso Doti were unsuccessful as her phone rang unanswered.
