Maun — Excited crowds flocked to Matlapana on Sunday to witness the annual floods from the Okavango Delta finally reaching the Thamalakane River.
Tourists and locals with their families watched the water flow quietly to the confluence of Boro and Gomoti channels before feeding into the Thamalakane River.
Cattle and goats also hurried to quench their thirst from the filling channels.
The water originates from the Cubango and Cuito rivers in Angola and pass through Namibia, before crossing into Botswana at Mohembo.
The inflow normally reaches Boro and Maun around mid-May or beginning of June.
Last year, those who are familiar with the history of the floods were dismayed that the water from Gomoti channel arrived before the Boro inflow.
However, this year it was vice versa.
Mr Joe Bayei, who brought along his children to witness the breath-taking spectacle, expressed pleasure at the arrival of the water, especially as last year's inflow was very low.
He explained that normally there were two floods seasons which arrive in May and August respectively.
He speculated that since this was the first inflow of the year, the 2017 earthquake may have affected the plate under the ground hence the late arrival of the water.
"Water means life because life on earth depends on a healthy ecosystem," Mr Bayei enthused.
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"The river is the main source of income for us as the community, and since it dried our lives had come to a standstill."
He observed that whenever the river and the channels dried, the entire ecosystem was affected - people, livestock and wildlife.
Mr Bayei, who operates a mobile safari business, noted that this is the best time to visit the Okavango Delta as it was now filled with water.
He was optimistic that other tourism businesses that had been dormant, such as boat cruises, would bounce back to life.
Meanwhile, in the recent council session, North West District Council chairman, Mr Itumeleng Kelebetseng revealed that the water situation in district had deteriorated following the drying of Thamalakane River.
As a consequence, Water Utilities Corporation was forced to switch off the Borolong treatment plant which waters some parts of Maun from the river.
BOPA
