Cyclone Dineo leaves P572m bill for roads

Pini Bothoko | Thursday June 8, 2017 16:06

 

The downpours flooded most areas in Botswana destroying public infrastructure, homes and fields while leaving thousands of families in dire straits.

At the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday, Ministry of Transport and Communications permanent secretary, Kabelo Ebineng said a budget of P572m had been reserved to repair roads damaged by the tropical cyclone.

PAC member Bogolo Kenewendo, who is also a Specially Elected Member of Parliament expressed concern that to date the Ministry had not assisted those hardest hit by the floods, such as villagers in Gweta, who were still facing a high risk of malaria outbreak.

“It seems like you are not planning to assist those people as compared to other areas, despite them having been the most affected. As we speak those people are still in the water and they cannot cross to the other side of the road because of floodwaters. 

“When are you planning to assist them as it has been months now without temporary measures like you did at Nnywane River bridge?  “Why is it that to date you have not taken immediate response to rescue those people because we only see them being given food hampers, which are not that important?” Kenewendo said the villagers were being charged about P200 by some trucks to cross a 200 metre long stretch of a flood-affected road, adding to their woes.

Ebineng said repairs were due to start soon, as contract awarding was due in three months’ time. “We are aware that many roads countrywide were badly damaged and are currently in a bad state.

This is something that has impacted badly on the day-to-day lives of Batswana,” he said. Ebineng disclosed that with the help of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) the Ministry had installed temporary measures in most of the affected areas such as the building of a temporary bridge over Nnywane River.

“About three weeks back we visited Gweta village and appreciated the damage. We are working on how best we can assist them but the disaster management team and BDF have been there assisting them where possible,” he said.