31 Jan 2021

Ntlo Ya Dikgosi has been informed that the Ministry of Transport and Communications has no plans in place to upgrade the turn-off road to Lobu farm from Khuis, along the Trans-Molopo highway.

Responding to a question from Kgosi David Toto II of Kgalagadi South Region recently, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Sethabelo Modukanele said the farm road did not fall under the jurisdiction of the ministry of transport and communications, but rather under the ministry of agricultural development and food security.

Kgosi Toto II had asked the minister of transport and communications if he would consider tarring the turn-off road to Lobu farm, from Trans-Molopo highway at Khuis, considering that government’s intention was to improve rearing of small stock.  

Mr Modukanele also informed the house that the upgrading of Gakgatla-Gamodubu road to bitumen standard was not included in the current National Development Plan (NDP11). He said the ministry would consider tarring the Gakgatla-Gamodubu road to be included in the next NDP.

Kgosi Edison Gobuamang of Thamaga Region had asked the minister of transport and communications to update the house on when he would consider tarring the Gakgatla-Gamodubu road.

The house also learnt that there were no plans to tar the Werda/Hereford, Khawa/Khuis, Gakhibane/Khawa, Tsabong/Hukuntsi, Bokspits/Transfrontier Park and Tsabong/Maleshe roads.

However, Mr Modukanele said funds permitting, the said roads would be included in the 2021/2022 financial year maintenance plan of dry grading and spot improvement, which would be outsourced to private contractors.

Kgosi Toto II had asked if there were plans to maintain, by tarring, the Werda/Hereford, Khawa/Khuis, Gakhibane/Khawa, Tsabong/Hukuntsi, Bokspits/Transfrontier Park and Tsabong/Maleshe roads.

Meanwhile, responding to Kgosi Sibangani Mosojane of North East who had asked if the minister would consider construction of a bailey bridge to connect the eastern villages and Masunga, Mr Modukanele said the roads department was currently in the process of upgrading the Tshesebe-Masunga road to bituminous standard.

The assistant minister added that the scope of the project included construction of three bridges across Tati and Masokwane rivers at Masunga, Mulambakwena and Kgari respectively.

He said the road project had stalled after the previous contract was terminated, revealing that procurement of a new contractor had been delayed by protests by unsuccessful bidders, with the issue currently before a court of law, whose ruling was expected on February 16. Responding to another question from Kgosi Toto II, Mr Modukanele said in 2018, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, through the USAF, undertook a massive project to upgrade mobile networks in Kgalagadi South and North to 4G.

“This project covered villages in the catchment areas of Tsabong, Middlepits and Bokspits. The project covered the following villages; Kolonkwaneng, Bogogobo, Middlepits, Khuis, Gakhibane, Lobu Farm, Vaalhoek, Rappelspan and Struizendam,” he said.

In addition, Mr Modukanele said  the ministry’s efforts were complimented by mobile operators, who continued to invest in extending network connectivity to most villages in the catchment areas, using their own resources.

He said the ministry’s efforts to provide villages in Kgalagadi with reliable connectivity had been adversely affected by recurring power outages, while plans to mitigate the power cuts had been set back by escalating theft of power backup systems at sites, exacerbating inability to provide residents of Kgalagadi with reliable connectivity as expected.

Mr Modukanele however said the ministry was currently exploring various avenues to address the situation, adding that as mitigation, other stakeholders that were directly involved in the value chain of providing connectivity in the districts were also being engaged.

So far, he said the ministry had had several engagements with Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), imploring it, as the regulator, to coerce operators to find innovative ways to remedy the situation.

He said there was engagement, at policy level, with the ministry responsible for providing oversight of power supply to find a permanent solution to the recurring power cuts in the area.

Mr Modukanele also implored Dikgosi to join hands in informing members of the community that theft and vandalising of telecommunications and electrical equipment had contributed in reversing the development gains.

“We will not attain our goal of transforming into a knowledge based economy, if these criminal acts are not contained,” he said.
Kgosi Toto II had asked if there were any plans to improve network in areas between Tsabong, Middlepits, Bokspits and their catchment areas. ENDS