Otjiwarongo municipality prioritises road repairs
The Otjiwarongo municipality announced its budget for the 2024/2025 financial year, totalling N$171.2 million, in May.
N$14.9 million has been allocated for capital projects and N$156.3 million for operating expenditures, which include maintaining existing infrastructure.
Otjiwarongo mayor Gottlieb Shivute highlighted that the town's operational revenue is largely derived from focused land sales (N$15 million) and Roads Authority (RA) funds (N$4 million).
Key contributions to the total budget for both operational and capital expenditures include employment-related costs (43%), general administration expenses (40%), repairs and maintenance (7%), capital development expenditures (9%) and capital charges on loan repayments plus interest (1%).
Residents air concerns
The municipality has committed to a substantial budget of N$71 million over three years to address the pervasive pothole issues in the town, particularly in the Orwetoveni area.
However, despite these efforts, the roads remain a significant concern for residents.
Road users have voiced their frustrations over the poor state of the roads. According to the Otjiwarongo municipality council, numerous complaints have been received from residents about the potholes.
"The feedback from the community is essential in helping us understand the areas most in need of attention," the council noted.
Solutions in action
In response to these complaints, the municipality has initiated several patching projects and temporary fixes.
Affected streets include P Gurirab, Dr Libertina Amathila Avenue, J Xam Gosaeb, and Jonas Useb, among others.
"We have entered into a tripartite agreement with the Road Fund Administration (RFA) and the RA to address the road conditions in the entire town of Otjiwarongo, with an emphasis on arterial roads accessing the national roads passing through town," the council added.
Long-term solutions include a detailed plan with scheduled repairs, the use of more durable materials and preventive measures to reduce future occurrences.
"Our internal maintenance team is hard at work patching the streets on local roads and has a programme that they follow. Additionally, we are upgrading approximately 1 km of sub-standard bitumen road built to interlock standards, which shall serve as an alternative to Dr Libertina Amathila Avenue passing through Orwetoveni once completed in mid-August this year," the council explained.
Prioritising road repairs and maintenance is based on several criteria, including the severity of the damage, traffic density and the strategic importance of the roads.
"Roads leading to deeper locations like Etambi and Ombili are given due consideration, especially those that serve as key access points for residents," the council explained.
They said they are also working to overcome these obstacles through strategic planning and resource allocation through the tripartite agreement.
N$14.9 million has been allocated for capital projects and N$156.3 million for operating expenditures, which include maintaining existing infrastructure.
Otjiwarongo mayor Gottlieb Shivute highlighted that the town's operational revenue is largely derived from focused land sales (N$15 million) and Roads Authority (RA) funds (N$4 million).
Key contributions to the total budget for both operational and capital expenditures include employment-related costs (43%), general administration expenses (40%), repairs and maintenance (7%), capital development expenditures (9%) and capital charges on loan repayments plus interest (1%).
Residents air concerns
The municipality has committed to a substantial budget of N$71 million over three years to address the pervasive pothole issues in the town, particularly in the Orwetoveni area.
However, despite these efforts, the roads remain a significant concern for residents.
Road users have voiced their frustrations over the poor state of the roads. According to the Otjiwarongo municipality council, numerous complaints have been received from residents about the potholes.
"The feedback from the community is essential in helping us understand the areas most in need of attention," the council noted.
Solutions in action
In response to these complaints, the municipality has initiated several patching projects and temporary fixes.
Affected streets include P Gurirab, Dr Libertina Amathila Avenue, J Xam Gosaeb, and Jonas Useb, among others.
"We have entered into a tripartite agreement with the Road Fund Administration (RFA) and the RA to address the road conditions in the entire town of Otjiwarongo, with an emphasis on arterial roads accessing the national roads passing through town," the council added.
Long-term solutions include a detailed plan with scheduled repairs, the use of more durable materials and preventive measures to reduce future occurrences.
"Our internal maintenance team is hard at work patching the streets on local roads and has a programme that they follow. Additionally, we are upgrading approximately 1 km of sub-standard bitumen road built to interlock standards, which shall serve as an alternative to Dr Libertina Amathila Avenue passing through Orwetoveni once completed in mid-August this year," the council explained.
Prioritising road repairs and maintenance is based on several criteria, including the severity of the damage, traffic density and the strategic importance of the roads.
"Roads leading to deeper locations like Etambi and Ombili are given due consideration, especially those that serve as key access points for residents," the council explained.
They said they are also working to overcome these obstacles through strategic planning and resource allocation through the tripartite agreement.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article