22 Mar 2020

Maun West MP, Mr Dumelang Saleshando has called on government to build a modern airport for Maun.

Commenting on the Ministry of Transport and Communications budget proposals amounting to over P3 billion for the financial year 2020/21 as presented by transport and communications minister, Mr Thulagano Segokgo on Wednesday, he said Maun was the busiest airport in the country.

He argued that Maun airport contributed  a significant value to the country’s economy because it welcomed tourists coming to spend their money in the country, adding that the refurbishment of the airport was not good enough.

“Maun needs a modern airport, an international airport for that matter,” he said.

Mr Saleshando, who is also Leader of Opposition in Parliament, said priority should be given to big airlines to land in Maun because tourists were turned off by having to connect many times.

He said government should cater for the high population that travelled to Maun heading to the delta, as half of them could spend nights in Maun.

Mr Saleshando stated that tourists spent huge sums of money connecting through small private planes going straight to the delta through foreign owned establishments while that money could have been going to government coffers.

He urged the ministry to attract more tourists into the country by making life easier for them.

Mr Saleshando further said the Sehitwa-Shakawe road was one of the highest income generating roads in the country going by the number of tourists who used the road.

Furthermore, he complained that there were sections of the road that were completely worn out to a point where one could not think that it used to be a tarred road.

He wondered how it was not part of this year’s budget.

“This beats logic completely,” he said.

In addition, Mr Saleshando said Internet and telephone connectivity was bad, and that his constituents would miss out from the knowledge-based economy.

The MP for Gaborone North, Mr Mpho Balopi called on government to put up high value transport infrastructure, adding that major bridge construction works currently going on should be coupled by open roads to cater for huge traffic as well as to position the country in terms of logistics.

He said Botswana could become a transport hub and known regionally as a gateway to the north.

Mr Balopi pointed out that ICT was a major development towards attainment of a knowledge-based economy.

Nata-Gweta MP, Mr Polson Majaga said his constituency was the hardest hit in the aftermath of Dineo, and that all roads were inaccessible.

He called on government to construct the Francistown-Nata, Nata-Maun as well as Nata-Kasane roads, saying they carried the highest number of trucks carrying heavy machineries.

Mr Majaga also noted that the road was a corridor to most countries hence government should erect tollgates to pay for their maintenance.

MP for Ngami, Mr Carterpilla Hikuama said the North West District road networks were bad, particularly in his constituency, citing the Maun-Mohembo road as deserted as it had been dilapidated.

He called for the construction of a road connecting Nokaneng and Dobe as the Dobe Border Post connected Botswana with Namibia.

He asked the minister to address contractors who were given road tenders in the district because of poor workmanship.

MP for Letlhakeng-Lephepe, Mr Liakat Kablay complained that roads in his constituency were inaccessible and that the electorate travelled long distances to access services such as motor vehicle license testing in Molepolole.

MP for Ghanzi South, Mr Motsamai Motsamai said Ghanzi South constituents were still puzzled as to how far was the Trans-Kalahari Railway. ENDs