22 Jan 2018

The project manager of the Kazungula Bridge project, Mr Pius Seone says all three packages of the project were behind
schedule due to a  number of reasons.

Briefing permanent secretaries at a retreat in Kasane recently, Mr Seone said the first package, which comprised of the bridge was six months behind schedule.

Instead of completing it in March 16 next year, he said it would be completed in September 20.

He said the project was at 41.75 per cent as opposed to the 56.13 per that was anticipated.

As for the second package, which is the Botswana One Stop Border Post system (OSBP), Mr Seone said it had delayed by six weeks and the actual progress was at 70.34 per cent opposed to the planned 82.25 per cent progress.

The last package, which is the Zambia OSBP, Mr Seone said it was only at 8.5 per cent progress compared to the planned 10.5 per cent planned progress.

He explained that the Botswana OSBP would be completed in September this year instead of June while the Zambian side would be completed in December 16 2019, instead of September 2 2019.

He said 591 employees were employed for the bridge project, of which 101 were Batswana, 393 Zambians and 97 from other countries. The Botswana OSBP, he said had employed 311 Batswana and 27 expatriates and no Zambians. While many Batswana were employed at the bridge at the beginning of the project, he said they started absconding from work after six months.

He said most Batswana, who mostly come from Chobe, were more interested in the tourism industry not construction. He however, said after realisation that a few Batswana were employed it was agreed that only Batswana would be employed in the second package.

Mr Seone said the challenge of slow rate of progress had been mitigated by continuing to work even over year end break.

He said the other challenge was poor communication by the contractor adding that the contractor had been urged to employ staff with language competency. He attributed the other cause of delay to the late approval of terms of reference for Kasane Landfill by the Department of Environmental Affairs.

For his part,  Permanent Secretary to President, Mr Carter Morupisi said the team wanted to appreciate the project and see what could be done to speed up its implementation. Mr Morupisi noted the importance of operating as Thematic Working Groups.

He emphasised the need of working as one government in order to speed up project implementation. ENDS