Gaborone preps safety for World Athletics Relays

A massive relay event landing in Botswana forced Gaborone's leadership into overdrive on busted infrastructure and street safety before international athletes show up.

Gaborone locks in for relay-event prep

• Mayor Oarabile Motlaleng connected with Commissioner Marathe.
• Their 5 March chat happened at Police Headquarters.
• Safety, infrastructure, and crowd readiness topped the agenda.
• Botswana hosts the World Athletics Relays in May.

Dark streets and the solar-light fix

• Dinah Marathe called out garbage lighting across Gaborone.
• Dim roads jack up risks for unfamiliar visitors.
• Motlaleng confirmed 40,000 solar lights are coming.
• Solar-powered units keep working through power outages.

Emergency access and trashed traffic signals

• Missing house numbers slow down police callouts.
• Officers struggle to pinpoint addresses without visible markers.
• Careless drivers have smashed multiple traffic signals.
• Cops want stiffer consequences for that negligence.

Debushing blitz before the big event

• Crews are hacking back overgrown vegetation citywide.
• Thick brush gives criminals easy hiding spots.
• Wire theft drops when overgrowth gets cleared.
• Gaborone wants to look sharp for global guests.