Mogashoa Village Dam and River not well taken care of.
Community alerts/ Mmabore Mogashoa/ Skinoord, Ga-Mogashoa/22/02/2019, 9:21 AM]
The Mogashoa Village Dam next to Mogashoa Primary School and Semene river in Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality is where cattle, goats, sheep, birds and other animals quenched their thirst. In winter or drought, the Dam dry up quickly because of the little water in it. The only source of water for this Dam is rain. Now the Dam is full of soil, grass and trees which makes it to store little water. We used to hear sound made by frogs in rainy season, but now it looks like our children will never hear that beautiful sound again or even see frogs.
Semene river which never runs dry no matter what the season is because the water comes naturally from the ground. In winter or when Mogashoa Village Dam has little or no water, animal owners will take their domestic animals to Semene river that flows through Mabonyane village in Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality Ward 13 via Ntsantsa river and Mookeng(located next to main road that goes to R555 road) to Tubatse river.
Years back people used cement and stones in Semene river to reduce the flow of water to make a little dam so that animals can drink water. People also collected water to make bricks or water their plants. Now the little dam that people made is full of sand and no longer store water. The water is less difficult for animals to get enough water. We used to see crabs, frogs and tadpoles in larger numbers but now you can go to the river and come back without seeing anything.
People from Ward 13 villages also collected drinking water from Semene river or do laundry there. While older people collect water, smaller children used to play on the rocks which is slippery when water is flowing. They will sit down, and slide through the slippery flat rock for fun (Nowadays they innovated plastic version in parks or creche). It was part of children to have fun and not destruct their mothers or sisters while busy collecting water or washing clothes.
Now the Semene river is dirty. There is lot of grass and stones. The river used to have 2 little pond with water coming under the rocks and a bigger one on the soil which helps people who collects drinking water during winter or when traditional water pumps had no water to que for short periods. Now the smaller ponds are invisible because of dirt and dirty water that is flowing at smaller quantities and cause a smell. The bigger pond is visible but people throws foreign objects in it.
According to cultural beliefs not everyone can clean up the pond. People from certain clan had to or older people (women who stopped menstruating). Semene river is part of our heritage and if it is not well taken of we won’t be able to show our children the natural beautiful art of nature.
Story by Mmabore Mogashoa
