No BR procurement involving Project Office at OP
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Wednesday March 25, 2026 06:44
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Noah Salakae, told Parliament yesterday (Monday) that Botswana Railways is an autonomous body that undertakes its own procurement processes. He said that as the minister responsible, he has not been briefed about the procurement goings on at Botswana Railways, as his powers are limited to appointing the CEO and the board. Although he denied that the Project Office at the Office of the President is involved, the minister admitted that there is an official from the Project Office serving on the BR Board, which conducts oversight of procurement at the organisation.
'I wish to state that, to date, no multi-million-pula contract has been awarded by Botswana Railways. Accordingly, there has been no procurement process requiring involvement from the Project Office at the Office of the President in this regard,' the minister said in response to a question asked in Parliament yesterday.
Member of Parliament for Selebi-Phikwe East Kgoberego Nkawana, has asked Salakae to state whether a multi-million-pula contract was awarded by Botswana Railways; and if so, to state, among other,s the contract amount and how the contract was awarded, and the level of involvement of the project office at the Office of the President and the reasons for the secrecy of the deal and the sidelining of both the Board and the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure. Nkawana also wanted to know who ordered the project office to ensure that the company is contracted, and if there are any letters of complaint to the Minister or to any government officials about the deal.
In response to the question, Salakae explained that Botswana Railways continues to implement a range of strategic initiatives aimed at stabilising operations and transforming the organisation into a financially sustainable and profitable entity. He stated that these initiatives include, among others, the development of key transport corridors and the enhancement of operational efficiencies.
Furthermore, Salakae said, owing to their strategic importance, such initiatives are undertaken under the oversight of the Board, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, and, where necessary, with occasional briefings to the Office of the President.
'Given that no such contract has been awarded, there has been no instance of secrecy or exclusion of either the Board or the Ministry. All procurement activities undertaken by Botswana Railways are conducted in strict adherence to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act and are guided by principles of transparency, fairness, and accountability. As no contract has been awarded, no directive has been issued by any authority, including the Project Office, to secure the engagement of any company,' he said.
Salakae said BR is currently busy with the procurement process, but denied that he or anyone from the OP was involved in influencing the process. He said that he is aware that more than 19 companies have expressed interest in assisting BR in its transformation plans.
In light of the above, the minister said there have been no letters of complaint submitted to the minister or to any government officials regarding the alleged contract.
'Consequently, there are no complaints to report on, nor any actions that have been necessitated in this regard. Mr Speaker, with respect to procurement approaches, it should be noted that different projects may be implemented using various models, including Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), depending on their nature and strategic requirements.
The question follows media reports that a multi-million pula deal between businessman, Shadrack Baaitse and state-owned Botswana Railways (BR) has been cancelled, with growing speculation of political interference. It is alleged that the contested contract involves the recapitalisation and provision of rolling stock investment by a local joint venture involving equity interest of Baaitse, who is also an operative of the ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
However, Salakae assured the House that there has been no policy shift redirecting PPP project proposals from the Ministry of Finance to the Office of the President.