05 Feb 2017

Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Kitso Mokaila, says some roads around the country remain in bad state due to financial constraints.

Answering a question in Ntlo Ya Dikgosi recently, Mr Mokaila said the ministry was aware that the 32km Bothatogo-Toteng Road was in bad state after the recent rains, where some sections of the road were ponding.

But he said the ministry did not have any plans to gravel the road in the current financial year due to financial constraints.

Nevertheless, he said in an effort to address the bad state of the road, a grader was deployed in December last year to grade 15km and it continued to do work from January 4 to date.

The grader, he said also opened drains and filled depressions with gravel to minimise ponding and removed water from the road.

Further, he said the ministry recognised the need to upgrade the Molepolole-Lentsweletau road to bituminous standard but because of shortage of funds, the project could not be included in the eleventh National Development Plan (NDP 11).

He however said the ministry was looking into outsourcing grading of the road in the 2017/18 financial year, adding that it would be graded twice a month for 12 months.

Kgosi Tjazako Mundu of Ngami region had asked the minister if he was aware that the 32 km Bothatogo-Toteng road was in bad state, especially during rainy seasons. Kgosi Mundu had also wanted to know when it would be gravelled.

Meanwhile, Kgosi Nametso Kopelo of Molepolole region had asked the minister when the Molepolole-Lentsweletau road would be tarred to improve connectivity between the two villages. BOPA