Liftoff Investment, a Botswana-based pothole patching company, entered into partnership with its South African opposite in a bid to fight the nagging issue of potholes in Botswana.
Jepatcher of South Africa aims to bring its intensive experience of road patching in South Africa to Botswana under partnership with Liftoff Investment.
Potholes are partly blamed for sky-rocketing road accidents and damage caused to motor vehicles on the poorly maintained Botswana roads.
Japatcher won accolades for its workmanship when it rehabilitated the South African roads ahead of last year’s FIFA Soccer World Cup.
Jepatcher’s partnership with Liftoff Investments ÔÇô a wholly citizen-owned construction company, is seen as a major milestone in as far as transfer of skills is concerned.
Rhetorically labeled ‘dam potholes’ because of their amazing capacity to carry running water, especially during rainy seasons, potholes are a source of concern to the current government and through their high technological project, and the two believe they could be a remedy to the backlog of cases bedeviling the country.
Against this backdrop, Liftoff Investments and Jepatcher over the weekend showcased their high technology system in Mogoditshane, which could see the country’s roads maintained and potholes eliminated.
The first of its kind in the country, the system uses a high tech truck which fills the pothole in less than eight minutes, far less than the usual 45 minutes conventionally employed by the councils and roads department to patch a single hole.
“Besides this amazing period, this project also sustains durability, which is good remedy for our peeling roads,” Liftoff Investments said on Friday.
While the technological part involves qualified and trained personnel, such casual jobs like cleaning potholes and controlling traffic, among others, are expected to attract quite a considerable number of the unemployed labourers.
The recruits are expected to undergo a three week long training by skilled Jepatcher personnel to acquaint them with basic skills.
Although they have not yet won a tender from central government, Liftoff Investments is upbeat that their business venture could pass the test of time.
