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President Mokgweetsi Masisi will next week officially open two of Ngamiland’s major projects, the iconic Mohembo Bridge as well as the refurbished Maun International Airport.
Masisi is billed to officiate at Maun airport event on Friday 20th before heading to Shakawe the next day, Saturday 21st to officially open the multimillion Pula bridge.
The bridge was in July last year opened for public use by Minister of Transport and Public Works, Eric Molale, following prolonged delays while communities suffered at the hands of the unreliable ferry at Mohembo.
Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Transport and Public Works Doreen Motshegwa has confirmed the two events, adding that Masisi will be accompanied minister Molale at the official opening of the two projects.
She said the bridge which has cost government slightly over a billion signified fair allocation of developments by government to all parts of the country.
Motshegwa added that more is expected from the president at the official opening among them being the responsibility that is expected from Batswana (nation) on the use of the bridge. She added that other government and ministerial officials will be present to share more on other issues pertaining to the district.
Okavango District Council Chairperson, Lesedi Boy said the official opening will be a delightful moment for the people of Okavango. He is hopeful that the bridge would continue to improve service delivery in the district now that it is a stand-alone.
“As the council we experienced challenges that negatively affected service delivery due to ferry breakdowns which rendered movement impossible across the Okavango River,” he said.
He said the bridge has so far attracted more tourists and investors to the district. Boy added that the bridge has also improved lives of the people in Okavango highlighting that people can now travel anytime of the day in the absence of a curfew brought by the unreliable ferry.
Meanwhile the North West District Commissioner, Thabang Waloka has confirmed that the Maun extended International Airport project is complete and the president will officially open it adding that preparations for the ceremony are ongoing.
The airport has for many years served tourism in the area, as one of busiest airports in Southern Africa, facilitating movement of tourist into the prime destinations of the Okavango Delta and Chobe. The airport also services regional flights from neighbouring countries, as well as scheduled domestic flights by the national airline.
Due to its busy schedule, and the high volumes of travelers using the airport, its expansion was inevitable and government decided to refurbish and also enhance its operational capacity to deal with increased traffic and passenger volumes.
