Gumare-Sepopa road stalls
Bango Trading (PTY) Limited finds itself at the centre of another controversy within the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, after the Department of Road Infrastructure Development and Maintenance varied their tender by more than P40 million.
This approval made by the Accounting Officer- Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Kgakgamalo Keetshajwang on May 19, 2025 was for the request to vary the scope by changing the percentage of emulsion added into the emulsion treated base mix from 30 percent to 60 percent at an amount of P40, 925,898.73 for a works contract for the procurement of cold recycling, shoulder reconstruction and asphalt overlay of Gumare-Sepopa Road, Package 2, contracted to Bango Trading (PTY) Limited.
The Botswana Guardian Newspaper in June 2023 published a story that the government had to pay about P459,704,873.48 for Gumare-Sepopa-Mohembo roads tenders after the Department of Roads approved variation of the tenders.
It came as no surprise to some industry players when Bango enjoyed the third variation approval on May 19, 2025. 'The Gumare-Sepopa Road is behind schedule but the Department approved yet another variation for non-performing company. This is blatant case of corruption by the Road Department,' a source at Roads Department said.
The BDP government has always expressed confidence in the company as one of the best performers and deserving most of the tenders that were awarded to it. The then Minister of Transport and Public Works, Eric Molale stated at the Thamaga-Kubung road project ground breaking ceremony ahead of the 2024 general election that the performance and projects completion by the company spoke volumes.
During the ground breaking ceremony for the Gumare-Sepopa road in January 2023, Molale said they allowed the company to vary the contract without going through the Oversight Unit. Molale said they were aware that there will be need for importation of materials for filling in of certain areas.
'However, since the acquisition of borrow materials is a challenge around this area, other methods of making use of existing materials, improving the strength as well as the life of the road will be considered,' Molale said.
Some Roads Engineers who sit in adjudication committees have wondered why the contract was varied even when Bango was non-performing. Bango is also handling Mankgodi-Kanye junction project. Apparently, there were recent intentions by the Roads Department to issue a notice of termination on claims of non-performance. This new development of variation and Notice to terminate is said to have caused division within the department and the ministry, especially senior officials and engineers.
The division comes at a time when the ministry has been grappling to pay one of the contractors, Evergreen Pty Ltd which terminated the contract after client breached the contract. The company was also engaged in one of the portions of the controversial road project. Documents seen by this publication have shown that the contractor was sent from pillar to post regarding their demand for payment of about P72 million in damages. At one point, the ministry claimed that it doesn’t know where the claim emanates from but would later on indicate that it is looking for funds to settle the debt.
This, according to an insider, was due to maladministration, negligence and corruption.
Bango is not the only company that is behind schedule at Sepopa. Rockefeller Engineering, which was awarded a tender to construct Sepopa-Mohembo (70km) road at the tender sum of P97, 368,989.73 is also behind schedule. Rockefeller also enjoyed two variations for this project.
These tenders to Bango and Rockefeller were awarded in August 2022 by the Department of Roads. On August 23, 2022 the department approved Tender No: MTC/240/5/56/2021-2022 (5) shoulder reinstatement and asphalt overlay of Gumare-Sepopa (70km), which was awarded to Bango Trading at the tender sum of P110, 594, 150.68. Another Tender No: MTC 240/5/56/2021-2022 (4) request for award of tender was awarded to Rockefeller at a tender sum of P97, 368, 989.73 for a work contract of the procurement of shoulder reinstatement and asphalt of Sepopa-Mohembo (70km).
Bango Trading and Rockefeller then applied for variations which were approved and published on June 8, 2023 by the then Ministry of Transport and Public Works. These variations were approved and increased by more than double the amount of initial approved tender sums. They were published as follows: Tender opening for Gumare-Sepopa Road (30km) Tender No:
MTPW/POU/DOR/WOR/11/2023-2024 which was bid by Bango Trading at the tender sum of P260, 833, 383.98 and Tender No: MTPW/POU/DOR/WOR/12/2023-2023 for the procurement of cold recycling, shoulder construction and asphalt overlay of Sepopa-Mohembo Road (10km) Package 2 at the tender sum of P198, 871, 489.50 which was bid by Rockefeller.
These 30km and 10km roads are variations of tenders that were awarded on August 23, 2022. Bango Trading was allowed the variation of initial award at extra P150, 239, 233.30 for a 30km road and Rockefeller was allowed the variation of initial award at extra P101, 502, 499.77 for a 10km road.
At the time, Department of Roads insiders were of the opinion that the powers that be should have called for re-tendering immediately the two companies had applied for exorbitant variations. 'It does not make sense for the Department to pay more than double the initial sums agreed upon. This is unfair to other companies that tendered for these work contracts,' the insider said at the time.
As it was not enough, the then Ministry of Transport and Public Works Government's Procurement Oversight Unit also approved a request for variation of contract from 70km to 34km for provision of shoulder reinstatement and asphalt overlay of Gumare-Sepopa Road.
This tender was awarded to Bango Trading at an amount of P110, 594, 150.64 and the company requested variation of P80, 009, 904.28, which is about 41 percent.
The decision was approved on May 22, 2023 after the Department of Road Infrastructure Development and Maintenance had applied for variation of the Tender No: MTC 240/5/46/2021-2022 (5).
According to insiders, contractually the variation cannot be more than 25 percent as it was in this case. The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure had not responded to a questionnaire sent to them by press time.
This week the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) Director General, Botlhale Makgekgenene expressed concern about the level of corruption in government institutions. She said corruption is a persistent challenge in government institutions. Makgekgenene told the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) this week that procurement has become a leading source of corruption involving inflated prices, bid rigging and misappropriation of funds. The DCEC boss indicated that procurement corruption is encouraged by lack of internal controls and ministries are grappling with eroded public trust.