11 Feb 2015

Small entrepreneurs, who used to ply their trade along the A1 Road between the Francistown BMC circle and Bokowe traffic lights, have been forced to move following closure of the road since January 12 due to construction works.

The closure, which is expected to last for five months, affected informal roadside businesses such as tyre repairs, vegetable vending, and pre-used vehicle sale.

One of the affected tyre repairers, Mr Christopher Dihutso said in an interview that he used to run a profitable business near Chedu Choga shopping complex but was forced to move due to the road works.

Mr Dihutso said he had since abandoned his strategic location and moved to a site at the Somerset Industrial area just opposite the department of Veterinary Services to start all over again. 

“I can’t get my regular and loyal customers anymore because of this change and this is affecting my business financially,” he complained, adding that only very few customers remained because he was lucky to get their contacts.  He accused the government of not giving them enough time to consult their customers about their temporary business relocation.

However, on the contrary, another local businessman, Mr Oratile Keleagetse, of By Name Engineering, which deals in car sale, said they were given enough time to move; only their customers found it difficult to access their businesses.

He said he had lost customers because their main target was the daily A1 Road users, adding that the dust caused by the construction trucks had now become a health concern.

Mr Keleagetse also argued that the temporary road should have been constructed adjacent to the A1 Road, the same way it was done with other sections of the road such as between Tonota and Francistown.

Another affected dealer, Mr Abdulaziz Ibrahim who sells used cars, acknowledged the government’s efforts to upgrade the road infrastructure within the city. 

However, he noted that despite the authorities’ good intentions in developing the city, the temporary road closure was now having a negative effect on their business operations as they had lost a lot due to lack of access to their places of operation.

“There is no access because of the road closure,” he said, adding that the hazardous dust emanating from the road was overwhelming.

Asked if he believed the five month deadline would be met, he sounded pessimistic, noting that there seems to be a lot of work to be done.

In December 2014, the Ministry of Transport and Communications held stakeholder consultations to inform businesses that would be affected by about the impeding road closure. 

The closure was supposed to have occurred in November 2-14, but was deferred to January 2015 to allow businesses to take advantage of the anticipated festive business peak. 

The businesses were encouraged to intensify their marketing strategies to offset the anticipated business losses. ENDS