05 Aug 2026

Persistent delays on major infrastructure projects, from land disputes to poor utility coordination, could soon be a thing of the past as government drafts the Construction Industry Authority Bill to streamline development nationwide.

Assistant Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Mr Keoagile Atamelang, announced the proposed legislation on Tuesday during an inspection of the 25km Maun internal roads project.

Mr Atamelang explained that the bill formed part of broader reforms designed to improve coordination within the construction sector and ensure that projects were completed efficiently and on schedule.

He noted that experiences from ongoing projects across Botswana had exposed recurring obstacles that required legislative intervention, including land expropriation processes, contractor licensing, inadequate quarry resources and poor coordination among utility service providers.

“The Construction Industry Authority Bill seeks to address these challenges by creating a framework that improves coordination and streamlines processes involved in project implementation,” he said.

He added that the proposed law would specifically strengthen collaboration among utility providers and ensure that their services complemented infrastructure development rather than delaying progress.

The inspection in Maun was part of a broader nationwide tour by the ministry to identify implementation bottlenecks on the ground and develop practical solutions to accelerate completion.

Despite the challenges encountered, Mr Atamelang commended the contractors, consultants and government officials working on the projects for their continued commitment.

During the visit, local officials highlighted the practical impact of the systemic issues. North West District Council engineer, Mr Juluka Zambezi, appealed to the ministry to incorporate stormwater drainage systems and streetlights directly into future road construction projects.

“If these components are incorporated during road construction, it will significantly improve infrastructure development and service delivery within our communities,” Mr Zambezi said, noting that while integral to road design, such infrastructure remained difficult for councils to implement later due to limited financial resources.

Giving an update, project engineer, Mr Unoziba Sesenyi said the Maun internal roads project was currently at 64 per cent completion, running approximately 14 per cent behind schedule.

He attributed the delays largely to unresolved land acquisition matters that had blocked access to certain sections.

Mr Sesenyi added that 77 properties affected by the project had been identified, with 27 property owners already compensated and awaiting relocation.

He said valuation reports for 39 properties were complete, five properties were yet to be assessed and three landowners had objected compensation offers and that prompted the ongoing engagement with the landboard to resolve the disputes.

He added that while outstanding works included curbstone installation, asphalt surfacing, splash drains and paved walkways, construction on roads seven and 11 had been suspended entirely because pending land expropriation processes prevented contractor access.

To recover lost time, Mr Sesenyi said the contractor was preparing a revised catch-up programme, which included deploying additional plant and equipment, mobilising an asphalt plant and strengthening collaboration with the landboard and utility providers, including Botswana Power Corporation,Water Utilities Corporation and BOFINET, to speed up service relocations.

Responding to the concerns, Mr Atamelang acknowledged that land matters were highly sensitive and required careful handling, reiterating that the forthcoming Construction Industry Authority Bill was expected to deliver the structural reforms needed to resolve such hurdles and improve project delivery across the country. ENDS