SEZA Consults Stakeholders As Panda SEZ Kicks Off
Correspondent | Monday November 23, 2020 16:13
SEZA chief executive officer, Lonely Mogara revealed in an interview that the Authority has been actively engaging with stakeholders like the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB), Dikgosi, Chobe Land Board, Pandamatenga Farmers Association and Chobe District Council.
“This will facilitate alignment and ensure that all stakeholders are on board. We will soon form a project reference group and task it with facilitating the master planning of the Pandamatenga SEZ. Further to this, through consultations with other stakeholders, a Zone Management Company will be formed and tasked with the management of the SEZ,” said Mogara.
He was giving an update on the development of the Pandamatenga SEZ. His update came in the wake of another announcement by President Mokgweetsi Masisi during the 2020 State of the Nation Address (SONA), when he revealed that SEZA is constructing additional 12 modern steel grain silos with an overall storage capacity of 60, 000 metric tonnes at the Pandamatenga SEZ. President Masisi explained that the 12 steel grain silos are meant to facilitate increased agro-production by augmenting the limited capacity of the existing 30, 000 metric tonnes.
The Pandamatenga SEZ has been zoned as an integrated Agropolis measuring about 137, 007 hectares, reserved for projects such as cereal production, agro-processing, water management solutions as well as production of pesticides and fertilisers. “The SEZ offers opportunities for investment in agro-production of cereals, legumes, oil seeds, animal feeds and fertilisers,” said Mogara.
Land measuring 84, 500ha has been set aside for commercial production; 12, 400ha for subsistence production and another 107ha for production of food, animal feed and fertilizers. An additional 40, 000ha has been set aside for the Zambezi Integrated Agro-Commercial Development Project (ZIACDP).
According to Mogara, the ZIACDP will make use of water from the Chobe/Zambezi basin for irrigation; the idea being to ensure agro-production all year round throughout the seasons.
“The tender for evaluation and master planning of the 107ha agro-production zone has been completed and an award will be announced by mid-December 2020. Funds for master planning and detailed designs of the 107ha site have also been approved,” said Mogara.
The Pandamatenga SEZ is expected to improve food production and help reduce Botswana’s high food import bill.