Africa-Press – Botswana. Deputy Minister of Roads and Infrastructure Mr Keoagile Atamelang said it was important that border roads were in good condition.
He was speaking during a visit to the Mahalapye district at the Paars-halt border, adding that the Paars halt border road should be paved as it connects Botswana with South Africa and could reduce smoke at the Martins Drift border.
He said the purpose of the visit was to look at roads under construction, those that had been built or were in the process of being cut and those that had not been done at all.
The deputy minister said all roads needed to be looked at and their importance as they had already recognized that the main objective was to boost the economy.
Mr Atamelang said at this time, they must pay attention to the amount of revenue, adding that the borders must have high quality roads.
He said they should hold a meeting soon to discuss road development in terms of traffic and how far the roads were from the A1 highway.
He said another issue that would be considered was what kind of changes would occur if the road was paved and whether it would be included in the NDP1.The deputy minister said although government did not have the funds, they were looking at one way to bring development to the people, which was to work with the private sector to work together to deliver on its commitments.
Mr Atamelang said he would take the matter to his superiors for consideration.
He said he would also ask them to consider whether the Paarshalt border could be used by businesses to allow trucks to pass through to reduce smoke at other borders.
He said the main thing was to ensure that roads were repaired and others were built to increase development in Botswana.
Makwate chief Motswaodi Diau thanked the deputy minister for recognizing that the lack of roads had prevented them from benefiting from the services for a long time.
He said he hoped the roads in their district would be speeded up as they were very close to the border.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
