Africa-Press – Botswana. Wing-footed 200m Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo and other national icons are yet to receive their gifts of electric cars because existing laws do not accommodate registration of vehicles without engines and therefore without chassis or engine numbers.
The government has encountered a setback in its plan to gift electric cars to four of Botswana’s most celebrated icons because “these electric vehicles operate without engines, making it difficult to meet current registration standards”, Parliament has heard.
Then president Mokgweetsi Masisi last year announced that 200m Olympic gold medalist Letsile Tebogo, Botswana’s pioneering rally-raid motorcyclist Ross Branch, Miss World Africa Lesego Chombo, and Miss Botswana 2024 Anicia Gaothusi would each receive an electric car as a gift.
These icons would keep the vehicles for a year of testing them for comfort and performance and promoting Botswana’s transition to e-mobility. However, the gifting has been put on hold due to complications with registering the vehicles.
Unique specifications
Answering a question from the MP for Shashe West, Jerry Frenzel, recently, the Minister of Communications and Innovation, David Tshere, disclosed that the delay stems from the unique specifications of the electric cars.
“Due to the requirements necessary for registering the cars in the names of the new owners, the gifting has been delayed,” he said. These vehicles do not have chassis or engine numbers, which are essential for registration.
“Unlike conventional cars, these electric vehicles operate without engines, making it difficult to meet current registration standards.
Amendments underway
“The cars cannot be registered in the country because the existing laws do not support them. The government is now working on reviewing the relevant legislation to address this issue.”
The minister added that the vehicles will be delivered to the icons as promised as soon as the necessary amendments have been made.
The electric cars in question were imported in semi-assembled form by the previous government and fully assembled in Botswana. The move was part of efforts to promote electric mobility and reduce the country’s carbon footprint.
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