Botswana president stresses urgency of Trans-Kalahari railway

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi has called on the Botswana and Namibian transport ministers to expedite the Trans-Kalahari Railway between the two countries.He made these remarks during day two of his official visit to Namibia, at the ‘Official Talks’ discussion at the Swakopmund Hotel and Entertainment Centre.The Trans-Kalahari Railway is a proposed 1500-km-long heavy haul railway from Botswana&#039;s Mmamabula coal fields to the Port of Walvis Bay in Namibia.“I feel compelled to highlight that this project should not just be started but rather be in its final stages by now. It is imperative to swiftly address all pending matters to expedite the commencement of the project without further delay.”Masisi added that time is of the essence and that urgent action is necessary to resolve any uncertainties and kick-start the project at the earliest possible moment.“As the president, I am eagerly anticipating the report from our ministers regarding the progress of various areas of cooperation. This report will serve as a foundation for evaluating the outcomes of our previous Botswana Namibia Bi-National Commission (BNC) session and assist in the advancements made in our collective efforts," he said.“It is crucial to have a comprehensive overview of the status of each cooperation area to better understand where we stand and plan accordingly for future engagements of the BNC.”More developmentsSimilarly, the proposed talks about a water pipeline between the two countries are still ongoing, according to Namibia’s agriculture and water minister, Calle Schelttwein.“We have agreed previously that a principal agreement to cooperate and provide desalinated water to both countries is on the cards. We have phased this project into three phases: SS1 is desalinated water for the West Coast. The cabinet has approved that project. The feasibility study has been done. The funding has been secured. Hopefully, we will start implementing it in December," he said.He explained that SS2 is related to supplying desalinated water to the central areas.“We are still in the process of evaluating whether the provision of desalinated water is cost-effective in comparison to making all our dams and providing water from other sources.”SS3, which might be the last phase as the programme can be extended, is where the pipeline comes in for Namibia – Botswana.“We have created a joint committee that is looking into the legal aspects and usage aspects of how that infrastructure is actually going to be maintained and built, among others. The committee is going to be brought back at the next meeting so that we can move on to the next step, which is a complete feasibility study.”

Botswana president stresses urgency of Trans-Kalahari railway

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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Botswana president stresses urgency of Trans-Kalahari railway

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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