29 Nov 2020

The government has decided to fund the Nata-Maun section of the A3/A35 roads projects from the Domestic Development Fund and to consider the Francistown-Nata road and Maun-Sehithwa-Mohembo sections for PPP funding.

Giving an update on the pledges made by the President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi at Maun Kgotla in September 2018, the Vice President Mr Slumber Tsogwane said the decision was reached after the government and that of China could not agree on the project cost and terms of the loan.

He said this followed submission of the projects to the government of China, where discussions were held between the two countries.

“A technical survey was done in n 2019 for all projects submitted and this recommended the feasibility study for the Nata-Maun road. Upon completion of the feasibility study, negotiations for a concessional loan for the Nata-Maun road started between the two parties and an agreement could not be reached,” he said.

He explained that during President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi visit to China, the People’s Republic of China offered Africa a loan amounting to US$60 billion under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. 

He noted that Botswana had pledged to utilise an equivalent of P12.37 billion pending agreements on terms and conditions as well as the approval by Parliament.

He assured the house that the government was still committed to undertaking the reconstruction of the roads as reflected on the recently approved Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan and during the State of the Nation Address.

Mr Tsogwane noted that for the Nata-Maun section, the tender for procurement of consultancy to undertake conceptual designs and preparation of bidding documents for procurement of contractors under design and build concept was issued on October 26 and would close on November 25. Commencement of pre-contract services for design and build are planned for September 2021.

“Applications for consideration for funding the Francistown-Nata and Maun- Sehithwa- Mohembo have been submitted to the PPP Unit of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and both of them have been approved,” he said.

The Ministries of Transport and Communications and Finance and Economic Development, he said were working together to assemble project teams as well as to procure transaction advisory services for the two projects.

He said since the President had also pledged to attend to the water situation in Maun, there was a project which included the provision of essential services of water and sanitation to the residents of Maun. 

Once complete, he said it would ultimately service all the residents of the village and its satellite villages within 30-kilometre radius with potable water and access to sanitation services.

Maun West MP, Mr Dumelang Saleshando had asked the Vice President to give an update on the pledges made by the President during a kgotla meeting. 

He also wanted to know how much of the P10.2billion loan secured by the President during his visit to China had been received and if the funds were still planned to be used in part for the reconstruction of roads in Ngamiland. ends