30 Jan 2020

The commencement of the Tshesebe-Mosojane-Masunga road construction is said to have been delayed due to protests by unsuccessful bidders.

Answering a question in Ntlo ya Dikgosi on behalf of the Minister of Transport and Communications on Tuesday, Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Unity Dow said on September 12, 2019 the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) awarded the tender for the road, but it was protested before the Independent Complaints Review Committee (ICRC), which made a decision on December 23, 2019, a decision which was also challenged and now before the courts.

The minister also highlighted that the ministry would address communities of the affected villages during the week beginning March 9, 2020.

Kgosi Sibangani Mosojane, had asked the Minister of Transport and Communications to update on the commencement date of the Tshesebe-Mosojane-Masunga road and its subsidiaries.

He had also wanted to know when the minister would address the communities of the affected villages as per the agreement made on August 9, 2018 at a kgotla meeting in Mosojane.

Kgosi Mosojane had further asked whether the current standard of the Tshesebe-Mosojane-Masunga road was gravel or earth.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse told Ntlo ya Dikgosi that, there was no programme set aside to assist in the construction of office or kgotla shelters for headman of arbitration.

Nevertheless, he said the programmes such as Ipelegeng or Community Constituency Projects could be used for construction of such facilities as construction of such offices was the responsibility of communities.

Mr Autlwetse further said programmes such as Ipelegeng and Community Constituency Projects could be accessed through the Village Development Committees, working hand in hand with Kgosi, Member of Parliament and the Village Extension Team.

He was answering a question from Kgosi James Khumanego of Ngwaketse West, who had asked if there was any programme to assist in the construction of an office or shelter for Headman of Arbitration to use while on duty in unfavourable weather conditions; and if so what steps can be taken to access this programme.

Still in Ntlo ya Dikgosi, Mr Autlwetse said during preparations for District Development Plan 8 (DDP 8), the Tsabong community had proposed the inclusion of infrastructure phase II developments.

However, due to budgetary constraints, the project was not included in the plan.

Kgosi Mpolokeng Toto II of Kgalagadi South, had asked the minister to apprise on progress made in the long promised Tsabong Infrastructure Phase II developments for internal roads. ENDS