10 Feb 2021

 There are no plans to construct Tsabong-Kokotsha Road in the current development plan, Minister of Transport and Communications Mr Thulagano Segokgo has said. 

Responding to a question on Tuesday, Mr Segokgo admitted that  that the road was in a poor state because it had exceeded its design life compounded by an increase in traffic volumes. 

However, he said the ministry continued to undertake periodic maintenance of the road.

According to the minister, the maintenance involved resealing as well as pothole patching of badly affected sections.

Mr Segokgo also said 30km of road between Draihoek and Omaweneno was resealed in 2017 while a citizen contractor was currently engaged for the reseal and road marking of a 30km section between Makopong and Werda. He said if funds were available, the ministry would consider undertaking periodic maintenance of the sections between Omaweneno to Tsabong and Werda to Kokotsha in the 2021/2022 financial year.

This, he said would include resealing and strengthening of pavement layers according to the minister with these interventions expected to greatly improve the condition, and the riding quality of the road. The minister also made clarifications on the Mmathethe-Bray/Hereford road which he said had been included in NDP 11 during the Mid-term review as part of the Economic Recovery and Transformation Programme (ERTP).

He noted that the section between Hereford and Werda had not been included while preparation of a project memorandum for design was ongoing and floating of tenders to source design consultants was planned for May 2021.

On one hand, Mr Segokgo said Motopi-Makalamabedi Road had been included in NDP 11 during the mid-term review as part of ERTP and with preparation of ITTs ongoing.

Floating of tenders to source design consultants for this road was planned for March 2021.

Furthermore, Mr Segokgo said there were no plans to construct the Tsabong-Maleshe road during the current development plan saying the 7km access road to Maleshe from Tsabong-Makopong-Kokotsha Road (A20) could only be considered for upgrading to bitumen standard under the 10km Policy on Access Roads when the A20 Tsabong-Makopong-Kokotsha road had been reconstructed or rehabilitated.

The minister was answering questions from Kgalagadi South MP, Mr Sam Brooks, who wanted to know when the ministry would reconstruct Tsabong-Kokotsha Road, which was in a  bad state. MP Brooks also wanted to know when construction of Mmathethe/Werda via Hereford, Motopi/Makalamabedi and Tsabong/Maleshe would commence. BOPA