On Monday evening of the 3rd April 2017 at exactly 19:40, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake, whose impact reverberated across South Africa has since had its epicenter located near the Kalahari Game reserve in Botswana (location coordinates -22.470 and 25.040). A network of seismic stations installed in South Africa and several neighbouring countries enabled a speedy and seamless affirmation of the epicenter.
Whilst the Council for Geoscience (CGS) is the custodian of the South African National Seismograph Network which monitors seismic wave activities throughout the country, the CGS benefits from sharing waveform data in real-time with Botswana (Lobatse station), Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Earlier on the same day, at around 05:08am, a 4.6 magnitude earthquake occurred at the Klerksdorp gold mining region. The tremors were reportedly felt in Gauteng and the North West Provinces. At the moment, we cannot confirm whether there is a correlation between the two seismic events. This information will be made available upon further investigation. There had been no reports of neither injuries nor fatalities recorded consequent to both incidents.
The Council for Geoscience would like to assure the South African public that there is no eminent threat to the country, as a result of well-established facts about the relative stability of the African cratonic plates. We’d also like to take the country into confidence by assuring the citizenry that there is no cause for panic. A capable team of Seismologists has been dispatched to Botswana to investigate the earthquake further.
For media enquiries please contact Ms Mahlako Mathabatha on mmathabatha@geoscience.org.za, Tel: 012 841 1220
