Gaborone councillors decry deteriorating roads

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday July 7, 2025 06:24

Despite ongoing efforts by the city council to repair potholes and maintain road infrastructure, the councillors expressed disappointment over the pace and quality of the interventions, calling for immediate and comprehensive action. Raising the matter, several councillors lamented that potholes have become a common hazard on most city roads, posing danger to motorists, damaging vehicles, and also giving a poor image of the country’s capital. They questioned whether the company currently contracted for road maintenance is capable of handling the deteriorating conditions, pointing out that the repairs appear slow and ineffective. Councillor Mpule Maplanka was particularly vocal, stating that some tarred roads in Gaborone have been completely eroded, especially internal roads in residential areas. “Our roads are in a very bad state. The potholes have become worse than ever. This is the capital city, and we should be leading by example. Yet some roads have been completely washed away,” he said.

In addition to the concerns, Councillor Sergeant Kgosietsile stressed the urgent need for road maintenance to be prioritised, warning that delays in action could result in further infrastructure collapse. “Issues of road maintenance need to be treated with urgency. Delays will only worsen the situation, and repairs will become more costly in the future,” he cautioned. In response to the pressing concerns, Gaborone City Council Town Clerk, Daniel Katjinotjiwa, offered an assessment of the situation. He acknowledged that the city’s road infrastructure is outdated and has far exceeded its intended lifespan. “Many of our roads were constructed over 20 to 30 years ago. Their lifespan has long elapsed. Even when we patch potholes, the surface breaks again or cracks appear on the sides. Some roads are now beyond repair and need to be completely reconstructed,” he explained. To date, the council has repaired approximately 13,093 square meters of road at a cost of P3, 665,555.20, according to a recent update by Mayor Oarabile Motlaleng. However, councillors noted that despite this investment, the repairs are not sufficient to make a meaningful difference across the city.

Moreover, Katjinotjiwa revealed that the council has exhausted its funds allocated for pothole patching. While minor maintenance might still be possible by reallocating small budgets, the larger and more critical repair works will require significant new funding. “We are now at a point where we need to go office to office to plead for additional funding. Pothole patching needs a lot of money, and the funds allocated have already been depleted,” he said. As a potential stopgap measure, Katjinotjiwa proposed that the city could consider seeking assistance from other government departments, such as the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), which has previously supported infrastructure repair initiatives in emergencies. However, he emphasised that without a coordinated and well-financed road rehabilitation plan, such efforts would only provide temporary relief. Furthermore, he suggested that the council should begin lobbying national government ministries and donor agencies for financial support, particularly for long-term road reconstruction. “Some roads are beyond patching; they need to be redone completely. We must now prepare to approach stakeholders with a clear case for investment in our infrastructure,” he said. In recent years, Gaborone has seen increased traffic congestion and urban sprawl, which places additional pressure on already aged infrastructure. The city's population growth and urban expansion demand a robust and forward-thinking approach to road planning and maintenance.

Yet, as the GCC deliberations have revealed, the current system remains reactive and underfunded. Recently, the mayor, in his speech, said they still need funds for the maintenance of roads, as they all know that they are in an undesirable state. According to the 2025/2026 financial year's budget is P545 million, including Revenue Support Grant (RSG) amounting to P375.2 million. “It is worrisome that we still have cash flow problems. This, therefore, means a reduction in spending is imminent and strengthens our cash flow monitoring and prioritises our activities,” Motlaleng had said. As at the end of May 2025, Motlaleng said total expenditure stood at P73.4 million, which is 13.5% of the final budget.

He, however, said the collection, including RSG, stood at P117 million. Moreover, in his speech, he expressed displeasure that 50% of the Roads Fund Levy for the 2024/25 financial year, which was allocated to greater Gaborone for upgrading and maintenance of roads, including illumination, has not been released to the district. He said it has come to attention that they have received funds amounting to P4.3 million from the Roads Fund Levy for the 2025/26 financial year. He said these funds will be used for cleaning and desilting of Culverts at P700,000.00, maintenance of street lights at P2,000,000.00 and pothole patching at P160,000.00.