Gov�t imposes compulsory acquisition on landlord
Onalenna Kelebeile | Tuesday August 29, 2017 17:15
It is four years since the conception and subsequent signing in May of the contract of the bridge project, but nothing has happened.
The Minister of Defence, Justice and Security Shaw Kgathi told a full council meeting here that the landlord has denied the contractor access to the site, citing that he is being owed rental arrears by the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, which is the custodian of all government departments on land issues.
Kgathi said the landlord was offered rental arrears settlement and buying options in June, but has not responded. “The Ministry has held several meetings and written letters to the landlord requesting him to have responded by August 18, as failure would ensure that the government has no other option but to apply compulsory acquisition option”.
He said all necessary efforts have been made before the decision on compulsory acquisition was reached.
Councillors welcomed the decision and said the project implementation should be expedited. Councillor Kgomotso Mmereki said it was regrettable that South Africa has long completed the project on its side, cautioning that this delay has the potential to cause suspicions and diplomatic feud.
The P104 million bridge project was expected to take 18 months and is anticipated to facilitate the construction of a commercial border post at Platjan as well as upgrading of the gravel road leading to the border.
SPEDU has been in talks with Botswana Unified Revenue Services who are interested in expanding the Platjan border post as it was revealed during the signing of contracts amongst SPEDU, Estate Construction and Wellfield Engineering in May.
Platjan is located in the Bobirwa Sub-district. There are border posts on both sides of the Limpopo River that link the two countries.
The current means of crossing the river is through a single lane causeway or low level culvert with concrete pipes along the 100 metres length of river width.
During the contract signing ceremony earlier, SPEDU board chairperson, Daniel Mahupela said the construction of the bridge will increase the influx of tourists from South Africa, as the crossing is a direct access and shortest distance route into the SPEDU region. He added that the business and farming communities in the Tuli Block area have engaged in business partnerships with their South African counterparts.
“The border will undoubtedly ease movement of goods between the two countries in the Bobirwa region and the produce imported from South Africa will reach the region while still fresh due to short travelling distance through the Platjan Bridge,” he said.
The Platjan Bridge is one of the projects that were approved under the Re-Employment Account, which is a repository of funds accumulated from cumulative loan and principal payment on a facility extended by the European Union.
Under the terms of the bilateral covenant, Botswana committed to the construction of the bridge across Limpopo River while South Africa agreed to construct the bridge across Notwane River in Ramotswa.
From the SADC perspective, the construction of the bridge will ease travel for northbound traffic from trading posts and harbours in the south to the thriving economies as far north as the Democratic Republic of Congo.