Leader of Opposition Dumelang Saleshando on Monday threw Minister of Transport , Noah Salakae, into an awkward political corner during a question-and-answer session in Parliament when he challenged the minister’s modest expectations for Botswana Railways (BR) against the more optimistic pronouncements made by President Duma Boko.
Salakae had been responding to a question from Kgatleng West MP, Dr. Unity Dow, who sought clarity on BR’s financial outlook and whether the state-owned enterprise was expected to make a profit during the current financial year. Salakae responded cautiously, stating that it was still too early to determine if BR would turn a profit this year, but expressed hope that the transformation process underway would yield improvements by the end of the calendar year.
“Botswana Railways is currently undergoing a transformation, and as such, it is still early to project whether it will make a profit or not during the current financial year,” Salakae said. “The Ministry is, however, hopeful that with the ongoing transformation, BR will show improvement or recovery.”
He explained that key recovery measures were being implemented, including the rehabilitation of locomotives and wagons, aimed at restoring operational capacity and increasing freight handling capabilities. These interventions, he said, are strategic investments intended to reposition BR on a sustainable trajectory.
Saleshando rose to his feet, reminding the minister that his party leader—President Duma Boko—had publicly promised that Botswana Railways would return to profitability by the end of 2025. Saleshando asked if the minister was now contradicting the President’s vision or simply not aligned with it.
Caught off guard, Salakae hesitated before responding that President Boko, as the Head of State, had every reason to be ambitious about the future prospects of a critical state-owned enterprise like Botswana Railways. “The President is expected to be ambitious. That is his role as a leader,” Salakae said, subtly distancing the executive’s cautious projections from the President’s more bullish forecast.
Dow had also queried whether there were any plans to privatize BR, to which Salakae responded that it would be premature to make that determination while transformation efforts were still underway. “Should privatization be considered, that decision would ultimately lie with Parliament,” he added.
While Salakae struck a technocratic and measured tone, Saleshando’s intervention drew attention to a potential disconnect between the executive branch’s political rhetoric and the ministry’s operational reality. The opposition leader’s remarks hinted at mounting pressure on the new administration to deliver on its ambitious promises amid challenging economic conditions and underperforming parastatals.
Compounding BR’s uncertain outlook is the fact that the rail operator has not completed an audit in three years, with the last financials completed in the 2022/2023 financial year.
Despite this, Salakae remains hopeful that ongoing strategic interventions will begin to show tangible results by year-end, pointing to improved locomotive availability, freight handling, and maintenance systems as early indicators of progress.
