Namibians face steep costs due to poor roads
Kavango East regional council chairperson Damian Maghambayi told a parliamentary standing committee this week that, due to the poor road network in the region, some residents, mostly farmers, are forced to spend up to N$700 to hire a car for a 70-kilometre trip.
In contrast, those with access to proper roads pay less than N$50 for the same distance.
Maghambayi's comments came in response to a query from a member of the parliamentary standing committee on transport, infrastructure, and housing for insight into the transportation costs residents incur in areas with subpar road conditions.
"Shamunaro is just 37 kilometres from the main road. Do you know how much you will pay to be taken to Divundu? You will pay N$500 and sometimes N$700 to hire a car for going and coming back. This is because the owner of the car will say the road is sandy," Maghambayi explained.
"This is what the people are paying to hire a car in the absence of a proper road network, so it is really frustrating."
Health, policing impacted
In addition to the high costs residents face, it was also pointed out that access to healthcare and education is compromised due to the lack of proper roads in the region.
The issue of a poor road network has been a persistent concern for residents in both Kavango regions for decades. This problem has been brought to the attention of regional leaders and the media, but a lasting solution remains elusive.
In the case of Rundu, one of the most populated towns in the country, there are areas where thousands of people reside, but access is restricted to 4x4 vehicles only.
Members of the police said a lack of proper roads in Rundu hampers their ability to fight crime.
"Our job is to fight crime, but some of the areas are inaccessible because there are either bad roads or there are no roads for our cars to reach where a crime was committed," a police officer testified.
High costs of repair
Rundu CEO Olavi Nathanael also emphasised that, due to a lack of funds, the local authority cannot tackle this challenge alone. Thus, there's a pressing need for stakeholders to allocate more funds to address the town's road issues.
Nathanael said the cost of rehabilitating a one-kilometre road is approximately N$4.5 million. He pointed out that the average of N$6 million received by the council from the Road Fund Administration (RFA) falls short of addressing the problem of poor roads.
"We have multiple roads that need rehabilitation. If you look at what we want to achieve this year as far as roads are concerned, which will require N$87 million, the N$6 million we get from RFA is just a drop in the ocean," Nathanael said.
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In contrast, those with access to proper roads pay less than N$50 for the same distance.
Maghambayi's comments came in response to a query from a member of the parliamentary standing committee on transport, infrastructure, and housing for insight into the transportation costs residents incur in areas with subpar road conditions.
"Shamunaro is just 37 kilometres from the main road. Do you know how much you will pay to be taken to Divundu? You will pay N$500 and sometimes N$700 to hire a car for going and coming back. This is because the owner of the car will say the road is sandy," Maghambayi explained.
"This is what the people are paying to hire a car in the absence of a proper road network, so it is really frustrating."
Health, policing impacted
In addition to the high costs residents face, it was also pointed out that access to healthcare and education is compromised due to the lack of proper roads in the region.
The issue of a poor road network has been a persistent concern for residents in both Kavango regions for decades. This problem has been brought to the attention of regional leaders and the media, but a lasting solution remains elusive.
In the case of Rundu, one of the most populated towns in the country, there are areas where thousands of people reside, but access is restricted to 4x4 vehicles only.
Members of the police said a lack of proper roads in Rundu hampers their ability to fight crime.
"Our job is to fight crime, but some of the areas are inaccessible because there are either bad roads or there are no roads for our cars to reach where a crime was committed," a police officer testified.
High costs of repair
Rundu CEO Olavi Nathanael also emphasised that, due to a lack of funds, the local authority cannot tackle this challenge alone. Thus, there's a pressing need for stakeholders to allocate more funds to address the town's road issues.
Nathanael said the cost of rehabilitating a one-kilometre road is approximately N$4.5 million. He pointed out that the average of N$6 million received by the council from the Road Fund Administration (RFA) falls short of addressing the problem of poor roads.
"We have multiple roads that need rehabilitation. If you look at what we want to achieve this year as far as roads are concerned, which will require N$87 million, the N$6 million we get from RFA is just a drop in the ocean," Nathanael said.
[email protected]
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