* P29 million tender remains unfinished 10 years later * Cost skyrocketed to over P300 million
The Francistown–Matsiloje road remains unfinished since 2015 because of alleged negligence, abuse of power and corruption in the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, formally known as Ministry of Transport and Communication.
A tender issued at P29 million remain unfinished for almost a decade, with the cost skyrocketing from the initial amount to well over P300 million for the road to be completed.
What began in 2015 as a straightforward resealing and road-marking project has now dragged on for nearly a decade, with taxpayers footing the bill for a staggering P27 million in wastage, and only five kilometres of road to show for it, which is now dilapidated.
According to CEO of Bowmag Construction Pty Ltd, Abednico Malepa the contractor was initially awarded the project for P29 million and was tasked with resealing the road, repairing damaged
sections, and improving its markings.
However, the project was plagued with challenges almost immediately. A concrete shortage in Francistown, driven by high demand from the concurrent Francistown-Tonota road construction, left the company scrambling for materials.
“We appealed to the Ministry of Transport and Communication multiple times to approve haulage provisions for materials from outside Francistown, but our requests were ignored,” Malepa said, adding that this lack of response led to a nine-month delay before the project could even commence.
By September 2016, Bowmag managed to start the project, but progress was derailed by what Malepa described as “conflicting instructions from ministry officials.”
Despite this, the company received praise from the Ministry's regional office in Francistown for its work. However, these commendations carried little weight when the Ministry's head office in Gaborone abruptly terminated Bowmag’s contract in December 2016.
The decision, made by Acting Roads Director Kgakamatso Kalasi, bypassed standard protocols and was later deemed unlawful.
Malepa explained that Bowmag contested the termination, arguing that it was both procedurally flawed and unjustified. Despite these protests, the Ministry refused to reinstate the contractor or address the dispute, choosing instead to escalate the conflict. The situation spiralled further when the Ministry seized Bowmag’s equipment unlawfully, a move that compounded the project’s already ballooning costs.
“Our equipment remained idle for years, costing us millions in penalties and lost opportunities,” Malepa said.
According to Malepa by 2017, Bowmag formally requested a Dispute Adjudication Board (DAB) to mediate the matter, as stipulated in the contract.
According to documents obtained by this publication, the Ministry ignored the request, further deepening the deadlock. Internal legal advisors warned ministry officials that the termination would not hold up under scrutiny, but their advice went unheeded.
Successive Permanent Secretaries, including Alice Magosi and Alicia Mokone, failed to take decisive action, allowing the project’s claims to climb to P21 million by early 2018 bringing the cost of completing the project to around P49 million.
Malepa explained that the Ministry began settlement negotiations with Bowmag that same year in attempts to find a resolution. The proposed agreement would have reinstated the company under revised rates and compensated them for damages due to idle equipment. Yet, these talks proved fruitless.
“We were given assurances, but no substantive actions were taken. Letters of intent were issued, but they never materialised into concrete decisions,” Malepa explained.
According to Malepa in 2020, the DAB ruled in favour of Bowmag, ordering the Ministry to pay for the damages and reinstate the contractor. Yet even with this ruling, progress remained elusive. On
the 1st of April 2020 a letter from the Attorney General’s office ordered the Ministry to comply with the DAB order and pay Bowmag their monies.
However, Malepa said that the Ministry went to court seeking to undo part of the DAB decision. In September of the same year the ministerial tender committee noted that it does not have authority
to preside over matters of contractor re-instatement.
Malepa found this shocking because reinstatement had been done before with Con Plant Civils which was contracted to do the Ikoga drainage works project tender. Con Plant Civils was awarded the Ikoga Drainage Maintenance works and they were terminated under circumstances similar to that of Bowmag. Con Plant Civils was reinstated and they were paid for idling plant.
On the 10th December 2020, the then Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport Alicia Mokone wrote a letter to Bowmag reinstating the company so that they may finish the work that they had started in 2015.
According to official documents, the tender was terminated on 9th June 2017 and was reinstated September 2018. Malepa said that it is confusing that the ministry is reluctant to do something that they had done before. Furthermore, in February 2019 a letter from the Director of Roads (Kitso Chubele) to Bowmag confirmed that the two parties are renegotiating the reinstatement terms.
Part of the letter read; the proposed scope of works has been altered by adding of three kilometres of reconstruction and your priced bill was in the amount of P49, 770, 434.28 and after negotiations we agreed on P47, 333, 538.28. Chubele further stated that the two parties agreed on the submitted claims in the amount of P27, 775, 902.
Malepa said that this made him confident that all is well but in January 2021 a letter from the then PS of the Ministry of Transport, Alicia Mokone to the Permanent Secretary to the President indicated that the reinstatement of Bowmag at the price set by DAB as the only way of extricating government from the morass, albeit – totally immoral and reeking corruption. However, despite this there was no decisive action taken to resolve the matter.
Malepa expressed his shock that the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority has also sought to nullify the entire agreement even though the new PPRA Act gives the power to deal with such matters to the PS leaving the case to be unresolved for nine years. He said that the PPRA also demands that the whole agreement be set aside and that the monies that have been paid for idling plant be returned.
Malepa said that they want a settlement to be carried out. He said they suffered loss of profit and continuation of idling plant, which has now garnered a price tag of around P50 million.
Malepa said that this has been done for Con Plant Civils as their plant was paid for and they were reinstated back to site. He said that government is disregarding a judgement from the courts and the continual fight between them leaves the people of Matsiloje and Francistown suffering.
He said after all these years the road is no longer a maintenance issue but will cost around P350 million when they are reinstated.
Payments were made with unexplained deductions, and reinstatement efforts were obstructed under dubious claims of violating Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board guidelines. Malepa
expressed frustration, saying, “We’ve done everything by the book. The Ministry’s actions have not only delayed the project but also shown a blatant disregard for legal processes.”
He noted that for the residents of Matsiloje, the delays have had devastating consequences. The road, which was intended to improve transport efficiency and safety, has deteriorated significantly, making it nearly impassable for both motorists and pedestrians.
Local businesses have faced increased transport costs due to vehicle damage from navigating the dilapidated road, while emergency services have struggled to reach the area, endangering lives.
Malepa said that despite clear evidence of mismanagement, there has been a conspicuous lack of accountability among senior officials. Kalasi, whose decision to terminate the contract triggered the debacle, has faced no disciplinary action.
“The culture of impunity within the public service has allowed this mess to persist,” Malepa explained that lack of accountability ensured that former Permanent Secretaries escaped scrutiny despite their roles in perpetuating delays and escalating costs.
He noted that the Francistown-Matsiloje road debacle is not an isolated incident but rather a symptom of systemic inefficiency and corruption in Botswana’s public service.
“This is not just about our company or this one road,” Malepa said, adding that projects are routinely delayed, budgets exceeded, and taxpayers left to shoulder the burden of mismanagement.
Malepa emphasised the broader implications, stating, "It’s about a system that fails to prioritise the public good over bureaucracy and individual agendas.” After nearly a decade, the Francistown-Matsiloje road remains incomplete, with no clear plan for its completion. The project has cost taxpayers more than double its original budget, while the community continues to suffer.
“It’s heart-breaking to see the road in such a state when it could have been completed years ago,” Malepa said.
The Ministry was unable to respond at the time of print.
A tender issued at P29 million remain unfinished for almost a decade, with the cost skyrocketing from the initial amount to well over P300 million for the road to be completed.
What began in 2015 as a straightforward resealing and road-marking project has now dragged on for nearly a decade, with taxpayers footing the bill for a staggering P27 million in wastage, and only five kilometres of road to show for it, which is now dilapidated.
According to CEO of Bowmag Construction Pty Ltd, Abednico Malepa the contractor was initially awarded the project for P29 million and was tasked with resealing the road, repairing damaged
sections, and improving its markings.
However, the project was plagued with challenges almost immediately. A concrete shortage in Francistown, driven by high demand from the concurrent Francistown-Tonota road construction, left the company scrambling for materials.
“We appealed to the Ministry of Transport and Communication multiple times to approve haulage provisions for materials from outside Francistown, but our requests were ignored,” Malepa said, adding that this lack of response led to a nine-month delay before the project could even commence.
By September 2016, Bowmag managed to start the project, but progress was derailed by what Malepa described as “conflicting instructions from ministry officials.”
Despite this, the company received praise from the Ministry's regional office in Francistown for its work. However, these commendations carried little weight when the Ministry's head office in Gaborone abruptly terminated Bowmag’s contract in December 2016.
The decision, made by Acting Roads Director Kgakamatso Kalasi, bypassed standard protocols and was later deemed unlawful.
Malepa explained that Bowmag contested the termination, arguing that it was both procedurally flawed and unjustified. Despite these protests, the Ministry refused to reinstate the contractor or address the dispute, choosing instead to escalate the conflict. The situation spiralled further when the Ministry seized Bowmag’s equipment unlawfully, a move that compounded the project’s already ballooning costs.
“Our equipment remained idle for years, costing us millions in penalties and lost opportunities,” Malepa said.
According to Malepa by 2017, Bowmag formally requested a Dispute Adjudication Board (DAB) to mediate the matter, as stipulated in the contract.
According to documents obtained by this publication, the Ministry ignored the request, further deepening the deadlock. Internal legal advisors warned ministry officials that the termination would not hold up under scrutiny, but their advice went unheeded.
Successive Permanent Secretaries, including Alice Magosi and Alicia Mokone, failed to take decisive action, allowing the project’s claims to climb to P21 million by early 2018 bringing the cost of completing the project to around P49 million.
Malepa explained that the Ministry began settlement negotiations with Bowmag that same year in attempts to find a resolution. The proposed agreement would have reinstated the company under revised rates and compensated them for damages due to idle equipment. Yet, these talks proved fruitless.
“We were given assurances, but no substantive actions were taken. Letters of intent were issued, but they never materialised into concrete decisions,” Malepa explained.
According to Malepa in 2020, the DAB ruled in favour of Bowmag, ordering the Ministry to pay for the damages and reinstate the contractor. Yet even with this ruling, progress remained elusive. On
the 1st of April 2020 a letter from the Attorney General’s office ordered the Ministry to comply with the DAB order and pay Bowmag their monies.
However, Malepa said that the Ministry went to court seeking to undo part of the DAB decision. In September of the same year the ministerial tender committee noted that it does not have authority
to preside over matters of contractor re-instatement.
Malepa found this shocking because reinstatement had been done before with Con Plant Civils which was contracted to do the Ikoga drainage works project tender. Con Plant Civils was awarded the Ikoga Drainage Maintenance works and they were terminated under circumstances similar to that of Bowmag. Con Plant Civils was reinstated and they were paid for idling plant.
On the 10th December 2020, the then Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport Alicia Mokone wrote a letter to Bowmag reinstating the company so that they may finish the work that they had started in 2015.
According to official documents, the tender was terminated on 9th June 2017 and was reinstated September 2018. Malepa said that it is confusing that the ministry is reluctant to do something that they had done before. Furthermore, in February 2019 a letter from the Director of Roads (Kitso Chubele) to Bowmag confirmed that the two parties are renegotiating the reinstatement terms.
Part of the letter read; the proposed scope of works has been altered by adding of three kilometres of reconstruction and your priced bill was in the amount of P49, 770, 434.28 and after negotiations we agreed on P47, 333, 538.28. Chubele further stated that the two parties agreed on the submitted claims in the amount of P27, 775, 902.
Malepa said that this made him confident that all is well but in January 2021 a letter from the then PS of the Ministry of Transport, Alicia Mokone to the Permanent Secretary to the President indicated that the reinstatement of Bowmag at the price set by DAB as the only way of extricating government from the morass, albeit – totally immoral and reeking corruption. However, despite this there was no decisive action taken to resolve the matter.
Malepa expressed his shock that the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority has also sought to nullify the entire agreement even though the new PPRA Act gives the power to deal with such matters to the PS leaving the case to be unresolved for nine years. He said that the PPRA also demands that the whole agreement be set aside and that the monies that have been paid for idling plant be returned.
Malepa said that they want a settlement to be carried out. He said they suffered loss of profit and continuation of idling plant, which has now garnered a price tag of around P50 million.
Malepa said that this has been done for Con Plant Civils as their plant was paid for and they were reinstated back to site. He said that government is disregarding a judgement from the courts and the continual fight between them leaves the people of Matsiloje and Francistown suffering.
He said after all these years the road is no longer a maintenance issue but will cost around P350 million when they are reinstated.
Payments were made with unexplained deductions, and reinstatement efforts were obstructed under dubious claims of violating Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board guidelines. Malepa
expressed frustration, saying, “We’ve done everything by the book. The Ministry’s actions have not only delayed the project but also shown a blatant disregard for legal processes.”
He noted that for the residents of Matsiloje, the delays have had devastating consequences. The road, which was intended to improve transport efficiency and safety, has deteriorated significantly, making it nearly impassable for both motorists and pedestrians.
Local businesses have faced increased transport costs due to vehicle damage from navigating the dilapidated road, while emergency services have struggled to reach the area, endangering lives.
Malepa said that despite clear evidence of mismanagement, there has been a conspicuous lack of accountability among senior officials. Kalasi, whose decision to terminate the contract triggered the debacle, has faced no disciplinary action.
“The culture of impunity within the public service has allowed this mess to persist,” Malepa explained that lack of accountability ensured that former Permanent Secretaries escaped scrutiny despite their roles in perpetuating delays and escalating costs.
He noted that the Francistown-Matsiloje road debacle is not an isolated incident but rather a symptom of systemic inefficiency and corruption in Botswana’s public service.
“This is not just about our company or this one road,” Malepa said, adding that projects are routinely delayed, budgets exceeded, and taxpayers left to shoulder the burden of mismanagement.
Malepa emphasised the broader implications, stating, "It’s about a system that fails to prioritise the public good over bureaucracy and individual agendas.” After nearly a decade, the Francistown-Matsiloje road remains incomplete, with no clear plan for its completion. The project has cost taxpayers more than double its original budget, while the community continues to suffer.
“It’s heart-breaking to see the road in such a state when it could have been completed years ago,” Malepa said.
The Ministry was unable to respond at the time of print.
