Namibia is worried that the joint proposed railway project with Botswana, Trans-Kalahari, is still at the planning stage 15 years since it was first proposed.
Namibia’s Minister of Works and Transport, Veikko Nekundi, told a Joint Ministerial Committee meeting on the Trans-Kalahari Railway Line Project held in Kasane, Botswana, that 15 years have passed and little to nothing has happened.
Nekundi said there was still not a single kilometre of the railway line constructed. He said it was extremely worrisome that the project is still at a planning stage. He added that whatever went wrong in the past 15 years must be avoided if the project is to succeed.
The meeting was also attended by Noah Salakae, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Botswana. The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) oversees the implementation of the Trans-Kalahari Railway roadmap.
Botswana and Namibia entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the ambitious project back in 2010 to pave the way for the development of the Trans-Kalahari Railway Line (TKR) Link. In 2014, the two countries solidified their commitment by signing a bilateral agreement, specifically addressing the trans-boundary line's development, including coal storage, conveying, loading, and additional ancillary facilities near or at the port of Walvis Bay.
Nekundi told the technical team of implementers that it is now time for facilitation, coordination, supervision and monitoring so that the project is not delayed further. He said as part of facilitating trade, movement of commodities and people between Namibia and Botswana, under the umbrella and aspirations of the African Continental Free Trade Area, the rail corridor needs to come to realisation sooner rather than later.
The Namibian minister said the railway project will promote trade and act as a catalyst for economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the two countries in particular.
Salakae said the committee will seek formal endorsement from its respective Heads of State to consider making the project a component of the broader Trans-Kalahari Development Corridor, which includes other infrastructure such as water, power and communications, new towns, industrial clusters and commercial centres.
He said CPCS Transcom UK Limited was appointed as consultant on the project in March. The consultant is working in partnership with Zutari (which is based in both Botswana and Namibia), Bowman (a Namibian company), and other key independent experts.
The consultant commenced work on the contracted Feasibility Study in April, which is scheduled to span a period of 12 months, Salakae said. CPCS Transcom UK Limited has submitted the Inception Report of the Feasibility Study that will be reviewed at the Joint Ministerial Committee meeting to be held in August, Salakae said.
Salakae said Botswana is in the process of developing the Botswana Infrastructure Investment Plan, aimed at upgrading and expanding its infrastructure ecosystem to unlock broader economic opportunities.
Written by Chamwe Kaira
