25 Jan 2022

Construction of the P5.8 million road linking Molapo Estates and Kutse Loop will be completed next month. 

Briefing Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Mabuse Pule during a tour of projects in the city of Francistown last week, the director of Wind of Glory (Pty) Ltd, Mr Tebogo Thebeetsile said the 1.6 km road was 70 percent complete. He said the project, which was awarded to his company in 2019 was delayed for two years owing to litigation by some of the bidders. 

Mr Thebeetsile said another challenge was the breakdown of machinery and the Crusher at Panda where construction material like gravel was procured. He decried disturbances by motorists during construction and advised that government should consider suspending vehicle movements on roads that are under construction. 

Mr Thebeetsile said notwithstanding the challenges they had completed the most critical stage of the road. Principal Roads Engineer from the City of Francistown Council, Mr Siloni Baeletsi explained that the current contractor was the second after the one who was initially appointed abandoned the project, forcing council to be re-tender. 

He told the assistant minister that the scope of the project was to remove the first layer of the existing road and resurface it. He cited last year’s torrential rains and heavy traffic volumes in the mornings as some of the factors that contributed to the delay. ends