Africa-Press – Botswana. Members of the PAC have insisted on a probe to identify and punish whoever slept on the job in supervision of the Boatle interchange that collapsed due to structural defects just months after it was opened for use, especially that suspicions linger that even the costly repair work may also be slipshod.
The Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) has pressed the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure to take disciplinary action against officials involved in approving the Boatle/Ramotswa intersection overhead bridge that collapsed just months after it was opened for use.
Appearing before the committee this week, Acting Permanent Secretary Kgakgamalo Ketshajwang fielded tough questions from MPs who suspect gross negligence in the handling of the project.
The committee raised concerns that proper structural assessments were not conducted prior to the commissioning of the bridge, prompting fears of possible oversight or misconduct by technical personnel.
Economic Stimulus Programme
The Boatle/Ramotswa intersection is part of the P1.069 billion Gaborone–Boatle dual carriageway project that was initiated in March 2017 under Botswana’s Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP).
The project aimed to upgrade approximately 23 kilometres of the A1 Highway from a single to a dual carriageway. Although the road was officially opened to traffic in March 2022, the intersection collapsed just eight months later under heavy rains.
The collapse was attributed to embankment failure, which compromised the bridge’s structural integrity.
PAC members this week charged that someone “slept on the job” allowing structural defects to go unattended during construction. These flaws, they argued, should have been identified and addressed before the road was declared safe for public use.
Formal investigations
Initially, Ketshajwang ruled out disciplinary action, citing that the defects were discovered after the defect liability period had elapsed and the defects have since been repaired.
However, committee members pushed back, demanding accountability. Eventually, Ketshajwang acknowledged the seriousness of the matter and committed to launching a formal investigation to determine whether professional negligence was a factor.
He assured the committee that appropriate measures would be taken against any individuals found to have breached procedure or failed in their duties. “We will establish if someone did shoddy work and take appropriate action,” he stated.
P9m in maintenance
The defective section of the Boatle/Ramotswa bridge has already cost the government P9 million in maintenance, a development that has drawn sharp criticism from both the public and lawmakers concerned that even the repair work may be slipshod.
This comes amid broader concerns about the quality and accountability of public infrastructure projects.
The PAC has vowed to continue its oversight in the case, insisting that the public deserves full transparency and accountability for the failed project.
Integrity of national infrastructure
Although construction ended in 2019, the road was not opened to traffic until March 2022. However, by November of the same year, parts of the Boatle interchange had collapsed following heavy rains. Again, the collapse was attributed to embankment failure, which compromised the bridge protections.
The collapse has not only raised alarm over the integrity of national infrastructure but has also underscored the financial implications. Maintenance costs for the defective section have reached P9 million, sparking further calls for accountability.
Source: Botswana Gazette
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