Witvlei
The government-owned Joel Kaapanda stalls, constructed 10 years ago at Witvlei at a cost of about N$200 000, remain a white elephant.
This is amid Deputy Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Christine //Hoebes last year calling for the council to renovate and reopen the stalls that were built in 2006.
During her working visit last year at the village, //Hoebes, who herself hails from Witvlei, ordered the village council to renovate and reopen the stalls as a matter of urgency.
The stalls, situated on the right side of the B6 road from Windhoek to Gobabis, have since been vandalised.
Some villagers at Witvlei who sell kapana and similar products are currently conducting business under trees.
Contacted for comment on Tuesday, Witvlei council chief executive officer Chris Murangi said he was aware of the condition of the stalls at the village.
He revealed that plans are underway to renovate the stalls.
He however pointed out that the venue and location of the stalls do not fit their intended purpose.
“Mind you, these stalls were meant for kapana sellers but the location does not fit such a business, as kapana sellers at the village mostly depend on passersby,” he said.
“The stalls do not even provide parking for passersby and this made it very difficult for passersby to stop,” he explained, adding that it was for that reason that many kapana sellers opted to sell their kapana from under trees where the access is easier.
“We also cannot use the stalls for shops as they are very small, but what we came up with at the council meeting is that after renovation, the stalls will be allocated to small and medium enterprises such as barbershops and others,” he added.
As for the kapana sellers, Murangi said the council has indentified another open space at the village next to the post office where they will be housed.
“The place we have identified will have enough space for parking especially for truck drivers and it is very close to the road,” he added.
Witvlei is a village in Okorukambe Constituency in the Omaheke Region of central-eastern Namibia. The village is situated on the B6 road, 150 kilometres from Windhoek on the way to Gobabis.