24 Apr 2017

 Energy Company Total Botswana in conjunction with Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund and the Cycle for Life cycling club hosted a successful cycling tour dubbed the Cycle Your City tour on Sunday.
The annual event which is on its third installment took the riders from Total Game City past Total Gaborone West, Dikgosi Monument, Total Broadhurst, Total Mmashia, making a last stop at Total Village then back to Game City.
Giving a short key note address at the starting point of the race Minister of Transport and Communications, Kitso Mokaila said he would passionately advocate for safer roads and bring a cordial relationship between motorists and cyclists. Mokaila, an avid cyclist who has participated in various road cycling challenges locally, was part of the riders who completed the 62km placed on the day’s loop.

He encouraged Batswana at large to take up cycling due to its health benefits.
The minster reflected on the day’s theme of; Share The Road, which advocated for motorists and cyclists to develop a healthy relationship on the road.
In appreciating those who graced the occasion, MVA Fund CEO, Michael Tlhagwane said the road safety situation in Botswana was worrisome as the death toll continued to rise.
He said 377 lives were lost in 2014, while 450 died in 2015. He said the figure included a few cyclists who were knocked down by reckless motorists.

He encouraged participants and all Batswana to make road safety number one priority. Tlhagwane said in some developed countries, cycling was a source of employment and also undertaken as leisure and for fitness.
The event, which has been hailed as growing in leaps and bounds annual attracted some senior government officials such as the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Thapelo Olopeng, the mayor of Gaborone, Kagiso Thutlwe and Chief of Protocol, Daphney Kadiwa, amongst others. ENDS