24 Apr 2018

Construction of the Kubung-Thamaga road is expected to commence in November after conclusion of recommendations of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

A representative of Geo Archeology Research Group, the company appointed to carry out the EIA, Mr Johnson Loso made the announcement during a kgotla meeting at Thamaga on April 23.

Mr Loso has also announced the implications involving the project at the meeting.  

Although the company has been given three months to have concluded the assessment instead of the normal nine months, Mr Loso assured residents that his company would conclude the assessment in time for the construction to kick start.

He highlighted that although the Ministry of Transport and Communications had specified a rather small road, his company advised that given the nature of the area where the road is to be constructed, it was better to expand the road to accommodate donkey cards, tractors as well as motor vehicles.  

As a result, they were able to adjust the 1.5m shoulder boundaries to 2.5m.  Also, they managed to increase the design life of the road from 10 years to last at least 20 to 25 years.

Mr Loso has further indicated the immediate advantages the road will bring.  Among others he said the road was going to speed up trips from Thamaga to Kubung.  It will also help to curb accidents as well as present business and employment opportunities.

However, the road is expected to affect some ploughing fields.  

To date about 27 ploughing fields will be affected by the road as it is going to pass near or through the fields.  Mr Loso however cautioned that with a tarmac road in place, accidents cannot be ruled out as some drivers are going to speed, resulting in road accidents.

Thamaga-Kumakwane MP, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo was happy with the announcement, saying that his constituents have long waited for the road. He said the road would help transport agricultural produce from farms to the market. He said most people from the Southern District to Kweneng District have ploughing fields in the areas around Kubung, therefore the road will ease access to their farms.

However, some councillors have expressed displeasure on some issues pertaining to construction of the road. Thamaga South councillor Mr Mpho Mogwera explained that when seeking to know the status of the project previously, councillors have been  told that the road was shelved due to financial constraints during the past sub council  and district council sessions.

He said councillors were concerned that due processes were not followed as during the last district council meeting early this year, they were told that the project had passed through design stage without having conducted an EIA study.  

They then sought to seek answers from the director at the department of roads, whom they could not get hold of.

He further indicated that having a design stage come before an EIA study could cost government a lot of money, should the study suggest otherwise, as it would imply that a redesign of the same road be instigated, something he termed corruption.

Councillor Mogwera has however pointed out that people were misled into thinking that the construction of the road would start before the year ends.  

Given the complexity of the matter at hand, he was doubtful that would be possible.

However, Thamaga East’s Councillor Pulane Piet differed with some councillors, saying the meeting sought to inform the constituents that the road was not shelved. 

He accused fellow councillors for wanting to gain political mileage and confuse the electorates.  

Meanwhile, residents of Thamaga were happy at the announcement, saying they have long waited for construction to start. 

They also said they were happy that the road would create business opportunities for them. ENDS