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Reconstruction of A3, A33 roads hailed

President Masisi speaking at the ground opening ceremony of A33 road(online) . PIC BWGOVERNMENT
 
President Masisi speaking at the ground opening ceremony of A33 road(online) . PIC BWGOVERNMENT

Masisi recently performed the ground opening ceremonies of the A3 (Francistown-Gweta) and A33 (Nata-Ngwasha veterinary gate) roads in Mathangwane and Nata villages respectively. The A3 and A33 corridors are major conduits for development and are frequently used by tourists to travel to Botswana’s major tourist attractions such as the Okavango Delta.

Truckers ferrying goods from other SADC countries and East Africa are also a usual sight along the A3 and A33 roads. According to an appendix to the draft Transitional National Development Plan, the government will spend P260 million to rebuild the A3 and A33 roads in 2023-2024 budget and another P320 million in the 2024-2025 financial year.

The A3 and A33 roads gained notoriety in the past after many people, especially passengers using public transport, lost their lives while travelling along the roads. Public transport owners plying along the roads have long decried that the pot holes riddled roads were damaging their cars which drastically affected their bottom lines. The two roads will be reconstructed using the development manager model (a collaborative approach where major developers join forces with other players to mitigate financial risks, efficiently manage the development cycle, and exchange expertise to maximise project potential).

During the ground breaking ceremony in Nata, Masisi blamed drunken driving, which results in road carnage and the loss of lives on the roads, as major factors that contributed to loss of lives which he added should be kicked out. Another factor that leads to massive loss of lives along Botswana’s roads is the issuance of fake road transport permits by some unscrupulous Department of Road Transport and Safety (DRTS) officials to some public transport operators.

During the ground breaking ceremony in Nata, an ecstatic Masisi hailed the two ceremonies as major milestones that would greatly improve the socio-economic value of Batswana and the world at large. “We are here to start construction activities for a major road project, a regional project and an international corridor that not only carries goods and services from our neighbouring countries but also carries goods and services across the globe,” said Masisi.

The president added that the road projects not only ushered in hope for a better tomorrow but were also key to trade facilitation and progress for human development capital. The Minister of Transport and Public Works, Eric Molale, also extolled the reconstruction of the roads. Molale said he was happy that the development model was now paying dividends as local companies are leading major developments such as the current reconstruction of A3 and A33 roads.

Molale pleaded with Batswana to jealously take care of the projects because vandalising them will cost the government a substantial amount of money that could have otherwise been used for other important development projects. Polson Majaga, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nata-Gweta, in whose constituency the A3 and A33 roads pass through, also waxed lyrical about their reconstruction.

“A lot has been said over the years about the reconstruction of the A3 and A33 roads. I commend the ground breaking ceremonies of these projects. These roads are important to the lives of people in and outside Botswana in various ways. The people of Botswana were tired of the hardships that they endured while travelling along these roads. To me, these roads are nerve centres of trade in Botswana as compared to others hence their reconstruction is a welcome development,” said Majaga.

The MP for Shashe West constituency, Fidelis Molao, echoed Majaga’ sentiments. “The A3 is an international link road from the south to the north facilitating trade in the SADC region. It ensures a smooth flow of goods through Botswana to other countries and brings revenue to the country, so it is an important road for our economy. It passes through my constituency and on this score, it will open up movement and enhance the safety of all road users.

The road will be user friendly and reduce accidents. It will bring a facelift and positive economic spinoffs during and after the construction phase. The construction of the road will create jobs in the formal and informal sectors. Joining the A3 road to the Mandunyane- Mathangwane road and Mathangwane-Makobo road will have a very great impact on the lives of the people of Shashe West. It is indeed an exciting time for me as the Shashe West MP that finally big developments are happening during my tenure,” said Molao.