WHY ALL PARTIES ARE TO BE BLAMED FOR N$5.5M RUNDU TOWN POOR ROAD NETWORK

NAMIBIA RFA CEO COMPLAINED OF POOR ROAD AFTER FUNDS WERE RELEASED

Namibia Road Fund Administration (RFA) CEO Ali Ipinge has express his displeasure of the nature of roads in Rundu Town Council during a site visit. The CEO is left dissappointed after witnessing the set of bad road network in the area after N$5.5 million was allocated to them to improve the town’s decaying roads.

According to Ipinge, ”We are now having exactly two-and-a-half months to the end of the financial year and the expenditure on that allocation is 30%, and there are a lot of potholes. Pretty much the whole town, either on bitumen or gravel, they are all in bad shape”.

He noted that it’s not always a question of money, it’s a question of planning and execution. As the town has not done a good work with the funds. So far, it is reported that the council only managed to use 30% of the total allocation for the now-ending financial year.

In response, Rundu mayor Gabriel Kanyanga said that they currently have no engineers at the council who are supposed to perform and supervise technical staff on roads maintenance.

“I realised that as Rundu Town Council, we have a lack of engineers in our staff establishment. It’s a challenge that while we as politicians are trying to push to make sure that things are working, staff members are resigning. The issue of the financial year is also hampering our projects as government’s financial year starts in April and ends in March, while all local authorities’ financial year start in June.”

WHY TAKE THE PROJECT WHEN THERE IS NO EXPERIENCE ON GROUND?

It is very shocking that such amount was issued out when the right people are not in place. Well, here in Africa such is a norms but it is very sad when there is lack of Engineers and still the project was still awarded. Stuff like this should not happen if only the planning of the road repairs were properly done by all parties involued. The blame is not only ment for the Rundu Town Council as the Ministry of works and Road Fund Administration have a part to play towards ensuring all was put in place way before the project even kick-off.

SOURCE: New Era