08 Jan 2026

Following cancellation of tender for construction of a 30km Mathathane-Platjan border post road , due to significant changes in scope and procurement needs, government has decided the project will be carried out and delivered through public works.

The cancellation of the construction of the initial 30km road funded by European Union will now see public works, led by Botswana Defence Force with Department of Roads providing expertise, construct a 189km road networks in Bobirwa, acting President and Minister for State President, Defence and Security, Mr Moeti Mohwasa said.

The 189km road network in Bobirwa comprises of the 153km stretch from Talana Farms to Sherwood, 16km from Lekkerpoet road to Motlhabaneng, 13km from Mabolwe to Mabolwe border post and seven kilometres from the Talana-Sherwood road to Platjan border post.

To deliver this road network successfully, prudently and commensurate with the needs of the people, Mr Mohwasa, during the district development committee meeting, said government would pool together its resources and personnel from various ministries and departments to deliver the project.

Bobirwa District Council, Ministry of Lands and Agriculture in addition to the BDF and Department of Roads will boost the public works to deliver the roads infrastructure that seek to facilitate ease of movement and improve livelihoods of the people, according to the acting President.

While the initial Mathathane-Platjan 30km road was to be constructed at P357 million, with P50 million of the total sum channeled towards compensation for those affected by the road’s construction, Mr Mohwasa said the compensation funds would now bolster the coffers for construction of more roads.

“We took this issue to cabinet where we found that we already had a right-of-way servitude by way of a gravel road from Lekkerpoet Junction to Platjan border post… We then thought it financially prudent to take this route than construct a completely new road under prevailing financial doldrums,” he said.

Construction of the roads would, amongst other things, boost Bobirwa as a tourist destination and corridor through which movement of people and goods from Zimbabwe to South Africa and vice versa would be eased, according to the acting President.

When Platjan border post finally becomes a commercial border, farmers and other business people in the Tuli area would move easily between Botswana and South Africa.

“Farmers and businesspeople this side have presented to us their transportation challenges during rains especially when Martin’s Drift border is closed due to flooding. They are forced to drive to as far as Tlokweng border (about 335km away) in order to cross into South Africa,” the acting President said while outlining the challenges of poor road networks and the need to commercialise Platjan border post, about 150km from Martin’s Drift border gate.

Despite boasting the state-of-the-art bridge across Limpopo River, Platjan border is reportedly largely unutilised and hardly records significant number of users due to poor roads.

“It shows that with tarred roads, numbers of people using the borders will likely swell… this is a year of delivery,” said Mr Mohwasa who added that government was in race to improve the livelihoods of its people.

It is against this backdrop that government views increased scope of road network in Bobirwa, through public works, would facilitate trade, tourism and ease of movement around Bobirwa and across the border into South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The government, the acting President explained, was heeding concerns of the communities and business people, some of whom expressly considered closing shop due to poor roads infrastructure.

The Ministry for State President, Defence and Security, Ministry of infrastructure and Transport as well as Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, facilitated by SPEDU, undertook a tour of the road infrastructure in Bobirwa to appreciate the challenges the communities faced and it was agreed that there was need for new roads network that would benefit a significant number of people, according to Mr Mohwasa.

However, Bobirwa District Council chairperson, Mr Johannes Gaosikelwe expressed, although without advancing reasons, his fears for utilising public works to deliver roads infrastructure in the district.

“I differ with the in-house approach of constructing 189km worth of roads network. I do not think it will work for us,” he said and suggested that government should have stuck to the initial 30km road from Mathathane to Platjan border post project.

He argued that the benefits of the 30km road would have been felt and as significant as the 189km roads to be constructed across the district. BOPA