10 Mar 2024

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has dismissed insinuations that his government had failed to deliver on its promise to construct the Francistown-Nata road.

Clearing the air on Saturday during a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) star rally in Nata, he said indeed government had promised to construct the road, but that the plan was miscarried due to the high interest rate charged by the government of China in 2019.

The plan, he stated, was in three phases namely; Francistown-Nata, Nata-Maun and Maun-Mohembo.

“Re ne ra le bolelela gore re ya China go le adimela madi. Re ne ra bua le MaChina ba dumelana ka mowa o montle gore ba tsile go re adima madi e be ba ntsha makgolo a didikadike tsa dipula go dira feasibility study, e le mpho ba sa batle tuelo epe,” he said, adding that what looked like a good deal quickly dissipated after the team of negotiators from Botswana did not agree with the unfavourable interest rate charged by China.

He said subsequent efforts by Botswana to negotiate further to get a better deal also hit a dead-end.

The collapse of the negotiations, said President Masisi, coincided with the advent of COVID-19 which forced governments including that of Botswana to re-prioritise development plans to save lives.

“Re ne ra felela re emisa sengwe le sengwe ra reka melemo e e le bolokileng mo bogompienong. Nkabe le seyo fa le le seboka jaana,” he said.

The naysayers, he reminded the democrats, said the Corona narrative was a ploy by the ruling party to embezzle public finances under the guise of procuring vaccines.

He added that the misleading characters were also opposed to declaring a state of emergency that helped to control the movement of people to curb disease spread.

President Masisi said contracts for the road, which would be constructed through the Development Manager Model, had been signed and that over P700 million had been disbursed to carry out construction.

“Tsela e a agwa e bile e ya go dirwa ka moago o sele. E tlaa bo eteletswe pele ke dikomponi tsa bana ba Batswana. Ba tlaa bo ba eteletse pele dikompone tse tlhano mo tirong e e akaretsang le go dirwa ga marogo. Mme e bile ba gakolotse go re tsela e okediwe segolo jang ha gare ga Francistown le Sebina,” he said, adding that construction works would begin in May.

The people of Tsokotshaa, he said, would stand to benefit as the access from the Francistown-Nata road would also be tarred.

On the water crisis that has hit Nata/Gweta, President Masisi said plans were underway to finally carry out the Sowa water master plan, which was also halted as a result of COVID-19.

The plan, he said, covered Mosetse, Dukwi, Sowa Town, Nata, Maposa, Manxotae and Sepako adding that P500 million had already been allocated towards the project, slated to start next month and finish April 2025.

Still on water, he said government had been advised that the envisaged Mosetse dam project was not viable.

President Masisi, however, said all was not lost as the planned Chobe-Zambezi water project would rescue the situation to ensure sustainable water supply in the area.

On other issues, President Masisi reminded all of the great strides being made, among them the inception of the SmartBots and the ban of some horticultural products, which he said were meant to empower Batswana and help create employment.

He reminded those vying for Bulela-ditswe that they would all undergo vetting to ensure that only those who obeyed a set code of conduct which all democrats must subscribe to at all times were given the green light to contest.

Any deviation from the set decorum and ethos of the party, he warned, may disqualify potential candidates from the race for either council or Parliament.

Also, he told democrats that the party was looking for people who would lure new members to the party, defend the party and its leadership at all times and not people who polarised the party.

Secretary general, Mr Kavis Kario reiterated President Masisi’s views, saying the BDP was looking for selfless men and women who would help take the party to greater heights.

He said the BDP had been voted into power since independence because the electorate loved how they conducted ‘ourselves’.

He commended President Masisi for his visionary leadership and for having chartered new and never-travelled frontiers with clear-cut intentions to advance the nation’s development.

Earlier on, Kgosi Rebagamang Rancholo waxed lyrical about President Masisi’s prowess leadership.

He was particularly happy about the numerous programmes that government had come up with to take Batswana out of poverty.

The ruling party also welcomed back members who had defected to other political parties, among them, Mr Joe Linga who had been a prominent member of the Botswana Patriotic Front.

Five prospective candidates for Bulela-ditswe on a yet-to-be-announced date were presented to  hundreds that thronged the rally.

They pledged their support and allegiance to the party even if they could lose the primaries.

The five are incumbent MP for Nata/Gweta, Mr Polson Majaga, Mr Montshioa Montshioa, Dr Benjamin Radihepi, former MP for the area, Mr Oliphant Mfa and Mr Mbanga Mbanga. ENDS