15 Oct 2026

 The recent inspection tour of the 14km Bokaa-Kopong road has revealed urgent need for routine maintenance in order for the road to continue to be drivable for motorists.

During a tour by the Assistant Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Letlhogonolo Barongwang, principal roads engineer for the Department of Roads Maintenance, Mr Mphetang Mmolawa acknowledged the delays in the processing of the road that had heaps of gravel dumped on critical spots.

Mr Mmolawa said the road remained a critical gravel route connecting Bokaa and Kopong and further decongesting the main roads, hence it required spot improvements time and again; funds permitting.

He said a number of local contractors were currently facing challenges of grader breakdowns that continued to halt rural road maintenance across a number of districts, something he said was being addressed.

 During the tour, it was also revealed that the contractor was currently on-site executing spot improvements by supplying gravel, though the project has faced noticeable delays, especially in the processing of the road.

This comes in the wake of a number of complaints by councillor for Bokaa South, Mr Tshepo Moloko, who decried that the road did not undergo routine maintenance despite its impact on daily travel for residents of the affected villages from Bokaa all the way to Lentsweletau.

He called for routine maintenance of the road especially during adverse weather conditions as road users were often left stranded.

Once the road has been upgraded, it would act as a major bypass, allowing motorists travelling from the north toward Molepolole to bypass heavy traffic in Gaborone and significantly ease congestion on the A1 highway. 

Meanwhile, in another road inspection site visit of the A1, Mr Mmolawa revealed that highway has reached its design lifespan and that it needed major maintenance.

He revealed that by December, the contractor would have completed design for major maintenance of the A1, after which an Environmental Impact Assessment would be carried out.

The project, he said, entailed the portion from Rasesa to Artesia and that during maintenance, the project would make provision for widened shoulders to be used during the maintenance period.

He also said during maintenance, the road would be upgraded as per the required standards for major roads because currently the road was narrow.

Following the tours, Mr Barongwang said the ministry was currently conducting road infrastructure inspections across the country in order to find ways to expedite service delivery and speed up maintenance where possible.

He said there was a long-term plan by the ministry to expedite maintenance of shorter routes, which could decongest major corridors and that most districts would be inspected to determine which routes should be expedited.

He implored the project team in Kgatleng District to expedite the spot improvement of the Bokaa–Kopong road to make it safe for road users.

The assistant minister further underscored the need for permanent and sustainable processes such as soil stabilisation that transformed unstable ground into strong and durable foundations for roads and further increases its lifespan. ENDS