11 Feb 2024

The design, construction and maintenance project for the 73-kilometre road between Sejelo junction in Kanye and the Jwaneng roundabout has been commissioned.

The project, which is expected to take three years including one year of the defects liability period, has been awarded to Asphalt Botswana to the tune of P466 million.

Speaking at the contract signing ceremony at Betesankwe on Thursday, Minister of Transport and Public Works, Mr Eric Molale said the project was part of the Output and Performance-based Road Contract (OPRC) which had to be terminated before the scope of work was completed.

Subsequently, he noted that government had since taken a decision to engage Batswana contractors which were part of the initial project to complete the works.

In addition to the maintenance of the main road and rehabilitation of some defective parts of the road, the project also entails construction of the 4.6km Betesankwe access road.

The minister called on all stakeholders to work together to ensure accountability, adding that the project was completed on time and within budget.

He said the initiative to make contract signing public was intended to promote transparency as well as encourage project ownership by communities.

He implored the district leadership to regularly monitor the project and give feedback to the relevant authorities.

He also urged residents to cooperate with the contactor to ensure the project progress.

“As government we are concerned about legal issues emanating from such projects as a result of lack of cooperation between stakeholders and the communities.

We have many cases still pending before the courts and these have adverse effects on the country’s developments,” he said.

Additionally, Mr Molale urged Asphalt Botswana to prioritise local people for jobs and services for the project, to align with the government legislation such as the Economic Inclusion Act, which was intended to promote citizen participation in the country’s economic growth.

He also pleaded with the company to impart some skills such as making road marking and signage to the local communities as a legacy that could in turn create more jobs in the future.

He further appealed to farmers to keep livestock away from the Trans Kalahari Highway since it was an international road that promoted regional trade.

He urged them to desist from vandalism of government property but instead play a role in protecting and taking good care of such resources.

For his part, Mabutsane District Council chairperson, Mr Kgopolo Setammere-Ramosesane expressed optimism that the construction of Betesankwe access road would contribute towards the growth and development of the village.

He also said they were looking forward to employment opportunities that would benefit the local youth.

However, he implored residents who would be hired at the project to work diligently and desist from absconding from work.

He said such poor work ethics often contributed towards project delays.

Asphalt Botswana operations manager, Mr Pius Mphathiwa said as a citizen-owned company with 99 per cent of Batswana employees, they had a deliberate policy intended to prioritise citizens.

He also promised that their employment processes would be transparent as they would be done at the kgotla.

However, he noted that the actual construction of Betesankwe access road would commence after a few months once the design was completed. ENDS