Africa-Press – Botswana. Assistant Minister of Transport and Infrastructure says the idea to upgrade Lentsweletau-Medie earth/gravel road into an all-weather and bitumen surfaced road was conceived in early 2021 after Minergy Limited approached the then Ministry of Transport and Communications, later Ministry of Transport and Public Works, proposing a partnership between the mine and the ministry to undertake the project in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) format.
Mr Keoagile Atamelang said following acceptance of the proposal by the ministry, the 24km Lentsweletau-Medie road project was included under the Second Transitional National Development Plan.
The two ministries, he said were proposing a partnership between the mine and the ministry to undertake the project in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) format.
Mr Atamelang stated that following the acceptance of the proposal by the Ministry, the Lentsweletau-Medie road project was included under the Second Transitional National Development Plan.
He said the project would cover the construction of Lentsweletau-Medie road to the mine with a tarred access road into Medie Kgotla and a tarred access road from Medie Clinic to Mahetlwe-Medie junction.
Mr Atamelang said the road bypassed Medie on the eastern side diverting truck traffic away from the village, Mr Atamelang said and added that detailed designs, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment studies were completed in November 2023.
He stated that the construction of Lentsweletau-Medie road did not include Kweneng village but ends at the mine in Medie.
Mr Atamelang said the construction of Lentsweletau-Medie road would be done through a PPP between Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and Minergy Limited adding that at the moment, the two parties were still finalising the Memorandum of Agreement which would lay the foundation for commencement of the project.
Mr Atamelang was answering a parliamentary question by MP Lentsweletau-Lephephe MP, Mr Tshenolo Bogatsu who had asked the minster to state what he intended to do about Kweneng-Medie-Lentsweletau road and in particular, whether it was true that a tarred road would be constructed from Medie to Tshele Hill near Mochudi.
MP Bogatsu also wanted the minister to state if it would be constructed through a PPP venture as previously promised by the former area Member of Parliament.
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