..As opposition criticise lack of tangible movement on projects that were reportedly expected to address urgent infrastructure needs
BONGANI MALUNGA
Seven months after its high-profile signing, the $12 billion investment agreement between Botswana and Qatar’s Al Mansour Holdings remains largely at the concept stage, with no confirmed projects advancing to implementation.
This emerged in Parliament on Tuesday when the Leader of Opposition, Dumelang Saleshando, pressed the Ministry of Finance for an update on the much-anticipated deal, which was initially billed as a catalyst for rapid infrastructure and economic transformation.
NON-BINDING INVESTMENT COMMITMENT
In response, the question was redirected to the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, whereby Minister Tiroeaone Ntsima confirmed that the agreement, signed in August 2025, is not a binding investment commitment but rather a pledge by Al Mansour Holdings to fund viable large-scale projects once they meet required standards. The update effectively underscores that none of the proposed projects have yet reached a bankable stage.
Ntsima indicated that the investment pipeline spans critical sectors such as energy, infrastructure, logistics, mining, the diamond industry, agriculture, tourism, cybersecurity and defence. However, all projects must first transition from conceptualisation to feasibility and bankability before qualifying for funding consideration.
To this end, the Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) submitted 21 project proposals to Al Mansour Holdings on 25 September 2025. These proposals are still awaiting feedback, further highlighting the slow pace of progress.
CRITICISM
Saleshando criticised the lack of tangible movement on projects that were expected to address urgent infrastructure needs. Despite the scale of the announcement, there is still little evidence of on-the-ground implementation.
“It’s been 7 months but there are no developments or updates since this deal was made public. When the deal was announced on August 24, 2025, part of the announcement was that this project was set to address immediate infrastructural needs. Why did you make the announcement if you were unready and unprepared, especially since Parliament approved the National Development Plan preparing for financial injection from this deal worth P160 billion?” Saleshando queried.
In response, Ntsima maintained that; “We were announcing an agreement of a partnership that can yield results for us in the future. I don’t see anything wrong with announcing an agreement with a partner regardless of the immediate or long term practicality of the deal. The announcement is something we can’t take back.”