24 Mar 2014

The Vice President and Member of Parliament for Mmadinare, Dr Ponatshego Kedikilwe has urged the Ministry of Transport and Communications to ensure that roads that are important for economic growth are improved.

Debating the ministry’s budget request for the 2014/15 financial year on March 20, Dr Kedikilwe said the road from Mmadinare/Robelela/Matsiloje could help transport the copper mined in the North East to the BCL mine smelter.

He said trucks transporting the copper took a long route via Serule. Dr Kedikilwe said the Mmadinare/Robelela/Matsiloje road could also help in terms of promoting tourism through visits to dams in the area as well as help with the transportation of agricultural products from farms in the Tuli Block to Francistown and other areas.

He raised concern about potholes in some roads such as Selebi Phikwe/Sefhophe up to Martins Drift, saying some potholes had turned into craters.

Contributing to the debate, the MP for Mahalapye West, Mr Bernard Bolele said the minister should look at Botswana Railways finances as the company had to do all the work associated with the rail with its depleted finances.

He said the minister should also do away with powers vested on him to set and approve Botswana Railways tariffs, saying it was counterproductive and should be reviewed.

The legislator called for the reduction of tariffs, not only on Internet services but also on telephones. Mr Bolele said Air Botswana should be placed under judicial management as it had been running at a loss for many years.

Letlhakeng East legislator, Mr Likat Kablay said he was grateful to the minister for considering the Molepolole road, noting that the Serinane road should have speed humps given the increased volumes of vehicles passing through the village and in the process causing accidents.

He said the ministry should also ensure that it deals with vehicles that had fog lights as they were a danger to other road users. Roads in the constituency, he said, were impassable and a challenge when it comes to transporting patients to the nearest health facilities.

Mr Kably said without proper roads, developments become impossible and called for the tarring of the Ngware road as well as grading of some roads in his constituency.

Ngwaketse South MP, Mr Siele said roads in his constituency were in a bad state and called for the improvement of network availability as people in his constituency struggle whenever they want to purchase electricity. Ends