By Patience Makwele

Residents of Katima Mulilo have raised grave concern over the town council’s alleged inaction on unsafe roads which are in a deplorable state, riddled with potholes and are full of dust. The residents, further accused the local authority of dragging its feet on improving the roads, despite a N$30 million upgrade budget, announced in May this year. 

Reportedly, the residents have incurred massive financial losses due to damages done to their vehicles and other properties while travelling on the roads. In serious instances, fatal road accidents were recorded on the same roads.  
Meanwhile, the chief executive officer of the Katima Mulilo Town Council, Raphael Liswaniso, confirmed the dire condition of the roads.

He explained that the N$30 million, which was received from the Roads Authority (RA) and the Roads Fund Administration (RFA), is a drop in the ocean, as the council sits with many critical roads that need urgent upgrades to meet conducive standards for both human and vehicles usage. 

These roads include the Hage Geingob Street, Richard Muhinda Street, Soweto Street and the bypass between Pick n Pay and Shoprite at Katima Mall. He alluded to the intensive work that goes into upgrading roads before explaining that the entire N$30 million will be used specifically on the four roads only. According to him, three of the roads will be upgraded from dust roads to low volume seal bitumen and one that is already bitumen standard will be refurbished.

“The tendering process has come to an end and the appointment [of the contractors] is due. The tendering processes were done by the Roads Authority,” explained Liswaniso. He however, shifted the blame to residents who do not pay their bills on time, which according to him, is the reason the council finds itself in its current financial dilemma and unable to meet its obligations, including upgrading roads.  

Liswaniso stressed that council does not generate any income from roads as these are capital intensive projects, which requires a lot of money.  Liswaniso revealed that the town council is grappling with a severe financial pressure, pointing to more than N$130 million owed by residents in rates and taxes, in addition to N$40 million in unpaid plot fees, some dating back 10 to 15 years.

When asked to provide an update on the five-year partnership with RA and the RFA, he explained. “In fact, within this partnership we have 11 roads planned to be upgraded and that includes Licwe street, the NaTIS-Macaravan-West street, the Nova street.  We also have Chefuzwe road which is the national road covering Kalumba and several other roads that will be upgraded during that period. These includes Hage Geingob, Richard Muhinda, Soweto Street,” he said.

Liswaniso also confirmed that the council’s roads maintenance budget which previously stood at N$4 million has already been depleted when they upgraded Nova Road to gravel standard and graveled the Butterfly Green Valley Road.