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From 6 July 2006, a graphic version of the current edition is available at the Daily News Online web site.

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The thought of eating something that has had contact with human waste is also repugnant to say the least.

Although Water Utilities Corporation has announced that November 1 to January 30, 2005 is non-fishing season in all its dams of Bokaa, Shashe, Letsibogo and Gaborone, some people continue to sell fresh fish at Old Naledi in Gaborone. So where do they catch these fish? Apart from Gaborone Dam, there are no other significant fishing areas around Gaborone where people can catch large stocks of fish. Metsimaswaana River, which feeds Gaborone Dam, is also dry. So again, where do the Old Naledi people catch their fish? The answer has since revealed itself: some people from Gaborone have opened a fish market using fish caught in the Phakalane sewerage ponds.

These deep ponds produce the bream and barber, but the most common harvest here is the catfish.

The Gaborone City Council introduced the fish into the Phakalane sewerage ponds as they play an important role in the ecological system of sewerage.

The catfish particularly, unlocks aquatic weeds, which block sewerage pipes, by eating these weeds.

Introducing catfish into sewerage ponds also helps reduce the smell because the fish likes to feed on human waste. The catfish also plays an important role by reducing harmful water-borne diseases caused by micro-organisms in the water.

Catfish farming is a rapidly growing industry in Botswana. The fish has many favourable attributes unlike other species, it is: hardy, can be bred artificially, eats practically all foods, is fast-growing and provides a large, white fillet..

Old Naledi is the only main market for fish selling in Gaborone. They range from bream to barber or catfish. Prices range from P5 for a small fish to P15 for a larger piece of fish.

Allegations from reliable sources say the first people to fish at the ponds (Phakalane) were the Zimbabweans and that they sold the fish with other locals at Old Naledi. However, some Batswana soon joined the Zimbabweans for the same business.

It was not until recently that the residents of Old Naledi learnt with shock that some of the fish they eat come from Phakalane sewerage ponds. This was after the drowning in the ponds, of a Ramotswa man who was residing at Old Naledi.

He drowned while fishing for commercial purposes in the ponds. Ofentse Mabotseng's ordeal came when he was canoeing to remove his fish net, which was full of fish.

After a long period of waiting for him to emerge with the big catch, his two friends saw the boat floating alone on top of the water and reported the incident to the police.

He was discovered dead after a massive three-day search.

Some residents of Old Naledi were shocked to learn how their compatriot died.

"We have not been aware about the source of the fish because we all along thought they catch the fish from Gaborone Dam", said one resident who did not want to be named.

"Nna ga ke je ditlhapi tsa maŠ" (I don't eat fish from the sewerage ponds), said another resident who claimed that she had never bought one after hearing the story. However, some fishermen have since denied that they fish from the ponds.

One of the popular Gaborone fisherman, Kitso Khoti, said in most cases when it is a non-fishing season, they fish at Oliphant's Drift.

He said he was still fishing at Gaborone dam because he was not aware that it was a non-fishing season.

Another fisherman, Malinka Motlhabani, admitted that they have heard about some people who sell fish from Phakalane sewerage ponds but said in most cases, they tell people not to buy them because it is an unfair business to other people who sell fish, which comes from fresh water.

In most cases, these fisherman spend most of their time at the ponds watching nets or if not, they go there in the early hours while it is still dark to collect their fish. After collection, they are transported to Old Naledi for selling.

To prove that some people are using the ponds, Broadhurst police station is also inundated with reports of people that had been assaulted and robbed at the sewerage ponds ‹ some while illegally fishing there.

Even the people of Broadhurst have always known about the illegal fishing but had never alerted the police.

Former Princess Marina Hospital Superintendent, Dr Howard Moffat, dismisses the Setswana beliefs that anything that has had contact with human waste is filthy.

He pointed out that even our rivers are polluted with waste such as dead dogs, human waste, animal carcass, to name a few, than sewerage ponds but people continue to catch fish from these rivers.

Dr Moffat said there is nothing unhealthy with the fish from sewerage ponds as long as it is washed and cooked thoroughly.

"They can only be dangerous if they are not washed and cooked thorougly," said the experienced medical doctor.

Dr Moffat said fish from sewerage ponds if not thoroughly washed and cooked, can cause infection such as typhoid- an infection that leads to diarrhoea.

He said the waste in sewerage ponds is not much different from natural water bodies such as in our rivers and lakes.

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