Minister of Infrastructure Science and Technology, Nonofo Molefhi says the commencement of the Trans Kalahari Railway (TKR) project is on hold pending sourcing of funds.

The 1447-kilometre railway line will link Botswana’s Mmamabula coalfields with the Walvis Bay Port in Namibia.

Briefing Parliament on Tuesday, Molefhi said he was uncertain when work on the project would start, as they had not found private investors to assist them spearhead the development, adding that the project was too costly for both governments. 

The project is expected to cost P136 billion.

Molefhi said the two governments had agreed to conduct feasibility studies first and only then, engage the private sector. Botswana and Namibia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Trans Kalahari Railway project in 2010.

The pre-feasibility studies for the project were completed in 2011 with the bilateral agreement signed in March 2014.

Molefhi explained that the project management office, which was planned to open in January this year, was not yet open since it is still undergoing refurbishment. “A consultant has completed a study which will be critical in informing the governments on how to go forward with the Trans Kalahari Railway project,” he said.

The TKR will avail a viable evacuation route for coal miners in Botswana to export their produce to international markets.

Once completed, the railway line will also afford alternate transportation routes for landlocked SADC countries such as Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It will be ideal for exportation of bulky goods destined for Europe, Asia and America while also serving as relief to the already congested corridors within SADC.

In Botswana, the TKR route alignment will follow the existing Trans Kalahari Corridor starting from the central district in Botswana, where there are coal fields and connect to the existing railway line alignment down to Rasesa passing through Molepolole-Kang road until Morwamosu to join Trans Kalahari Corridor through to Mamuno border.

Botswana can currently export as much as 1.7 million tonnes per annum to international markets using existing railways through Mozambique.  Experts have, however, said the slow pace of infrastructure development might cause Botswana to lose market opportunities. The existing rail links between Botswana and Maputo offer available capacity of 20 million tonnes per annum.

The proposed new routes to Walvis Bay and Ponto-Techobanine are yet to demonstrate commercial viability, but offer potential long-term solutions for more than 100 million tonnes per annum.