11 Jun 2018

The envisaged national roads agency is expected to add value to the economy, particularly because the country is located at the centre of the SADC region.

Contributing to the debate on a motion by Nata-Gweta MP, Mr Polson Majaga that called on government to set up a national road development agency, recently, transport and communications minister, Mr Kitso Mokaila said such an entity was indeed necessary as it would address several challenges presently plaguing the transport sector.

He noted that the issue of a road authority was tabled before cabinet in 2014, and that it was held in abeyance pending consultations.

He explained that his ministry would soon undergo a restructuring exercise, the effect of which would include among others the establishment of a roads authority.

He pointed out that a couple of trade corridors used by SADC member states passed through Botswana, hence the need for the country’s roads to be brought to standard.

Mr Mokaila said it was for this reason that Botswana found it prudent to position rail to become part of the route, in particular, the one to the north.

He said 80 per cent of freight from the south to the north was on the road.

“We want to move that 80 per cent to rail and 20 to roads and maintain our roads better. We are also considering the link between Mosetse and Kazungula for rail to ensure that we can cater for the volume that we foresee with the bridge that we are developing,” he said.

Mr Mokaila said the roads authority would also help in making the country attractive regarding the hiring of quality personnel, saying capacity was one the challenges the ministry was grappling with as it continued to lose quality personnel to the private sector.

The MP for Shoshong, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele said his constituency was in dire need for better roads, adding that some of the villages classified as remote area settlements in the constituency needed a better road network for them to stand a chance of transforming for the better.

He said a national road agency would come in handy in ensuring that such areas got roads, a development that he said would also add on to efforts to eradicate poverty and improve the lives of the dwellers of such areas.

Mr Makgalemele nonetheless decried the dominance of foreign-owned entities in the business of constructing roads. He said locals should be capacitated to enable them to partake in the sector.

Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs and MP for Sefhare-Ramokgonami, Ms Dorcas Makgato said the motion was in sync with what the ministry had already embarked on doing.  

Ms Makgato said in setting up the road agency, the issue of payments for roads construction and maintenance services also needed to be looked into as chances were that government was being made to pay more than was necessary for the services.

She said it was worrying that government was pouring a lot of funds into roads yet they showed signs of poor workmanship within months of projects being completed.

The MP for Francistown East, Mr Buti Billy said the road agency would help in ensuring that roads were always in a good condition.

This, he said, would help different sectors of the economy to do well as a good road network was a prerequisite to economic growth.

Mr Billy said a good road network would also help lure investors to the different parts of the country.

MP Edwin Batshu of Nkange said Batswana should be grateful that there had been extensive efforts to upgrade roads in the process of developing the country.

He attributed the current poor state of roads to the funding constraints that followed in later years resulting in roads maintenance lagging behind.

He said the road agency, once in place, could go a long way in helping address the issues.

MP Liakat Kably of Letlhakeng-Lephephe said the road agency would address Batswana’s concerns as they had for long complained about the bad state of the roads.

He however said it was sad that good decisions made that could benefit Batswana were often not followed through.

Mr Shaw Kgathi, MP for Bobonong and defence, justice and security minister said the roads agency would result in Botswana having quality roads.

Mr Kgathi said it was crucial to also consider developing roads leading to different production areas in an attempt to help add more value to the economy.

Maun West legislator, Mr Tawana Moremi said Botswana should move with the times and consider the introduction of toll gates to help raise revenue needed to maintain the road network.

MP Moremi said the country’s road infrastructure was poor and was as such a hindrance to efforts to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Mr Bagalatia Arone of Okavango said the country must admit that it had delayed to address issues surrounding the development of its road network.

The basic education minister said budgeting was one critical factor that needed to be looked into with the view to availing more funds to ministries whose mandates affected people’s daily lives.

He said roads in his constituency were almost non-existent, something that made movement between villages to be cumbersome.

Assistant Minister of Basic Education and Ngami MP, Mr Thato Kwerepe  appealed for the engagement of people with the right expertise for the carrying out of roads construction and maintenance projects.

MP Masego Segokgo of Tlokweng noted that the concerns regarding roads affected all parts of Botswana.

He said urban areas and villages near cities and towns grappled with issues of traffic congestion which he said often prevented road users from reaching their destinations on time particularly during peak times.

Mr Segokgo said the agency, once established, should also set a minimum speed limit as some drivers often caused accidents on roads due to driving too slowly and thus causing unnecessary congestion.

The MP for Shashe West, Mr Fidelis Molao concurred that the agency would address issues of congestion on the roads.

Mr Molao, also tertiary education, research, science and technology assistant  minister, noted that government needed to be forward-thinking when planning for the country’s developments.

Dr Phenyo Butale, MP for Gaborone Central, shared similar sentiments on the need to plan far ahead for developments to ensure that they served their purpose for a long time before needing to be upgraded.

Dr Butale, who said the lack of a good road network would hamper efforts to woo investors, expressed hope that the establishment of a road agency would address that and help facilitate the movement of investors to various parts of the country.

MP Majaga had tabled a motion calling for the setting up of a national road development agency responsible for among others, the construction and maintenance of roads.

He had argued that the agency would also focus on addressing the general challenges facing the transport sector by ensuring that the economy became more efficient and competitive. ENDS