17 Jun 2013

The 60km Khumaga/Motopi road has been awarded to a contractor for re-sealing at a tune of P29 million.

Briefing Boteti councillors recently, north region roads engineer, Mr Belang Senyarelo said the contractor was already on site and the project would be completed in a year.

The road had been a topical issue at previous sub-council sessions and kgotla meetings in the sub-district as it was no longer in a good condition putting travellers at risk. Mr Senyarelo said the road department was aware of the fact that main roads in Boteti were not in good shape.

He said the department was unable to grade gravel roads linking villages to the satisfactory of the community due to shortage of graders. “We are handicapped by shortage of manpower, funds and resources,” he said.

As a way of addressing the current problems, Mr Senyarelo said the department was in the process of procuring 21 graders worth about P53 million. He said one of the new graders would be stationed in Letlhakane to grade Boteti roads.

The tender had been evaluated and forwarded to PPADB for adjudication, he said. “We are doing our best with the little resources that we have to satisfy our customers,” he said.

Mr Senyarelo said the department would open another office in Boteti to get closer to their customers as currently the area was serviced from Francistown. However, councillors were not convinced that the roads department was doing its best as the roads were in a bad shape.

Cllr for Mopipi ward Matshwenyego Shaka said grading of roads was done prior to visits by ministers and the President. Cllr Shaka said the department did not have a plan as it was never communicated to the sub-district leadership.

Cllr Sidney Botlhokobotsile of Mokobaxane ward wondered if an inspection was done prior and after gravelling of the roads as some of the roads were left in a worse state after grading. He said some of the roads should be filled with gravel before grading. He said replacement of road signs and road marking was also not done on time. ENDS