Nkurenkuru
Minister of Works and Transport Alpheus !Naruseb has appealed to residents of Kavango West and other Namibians to refrain from engaging in fraudulent activities, particularly when they want to secure services from the national vehicle licensing authority, NaTIS.
He said people should not to fall prey to conmen, who are robbing people by dubious means, as all NaTIS services are done over the counter and at NaTIS centres and not on street corners: “Let me warn these conmen that are carrying out fraudulent activities that if we catch you, you will face the full wrath of the law.”
He said this when he officially opened NaTIS office in Nkurenkuru, the regional capital of Kavango West region. With the opening of the office the inhabitants of Kavango West Region will no longer have to travel long distances to Rundu to access NaTIS services, such as learners’ license testing, vehicle registration and licensing, application for and issuance of temporary and special permits.
The de-registration and export of vehicles to neighbouring countries will from now on also be offered at the Nkurenkuru NaTIS office, while other services such as applications for drivers’ licenses and roadworthy testing will be introduced in due course.
The town of Nkurenkuru does not have many taxi operators and residents used to walk long distances to and from work, school and shopping malls. “I hope from next week we will not be footing anymore, because taxis will be available to take us around town and help with dropping off our learners at school,” said Governor of Kavango West Sirkka Ausiku.
Ausiku used the opportunity to request the Ministry of Works and Transport to prioritise 12 roads in the region previously listed as priorities under the National Development Plan (NDPs.)
“To stimulate our economy the region needs good feeder roads in the inland to connect with the main roads of Mururani to Grootfointen, to Tsumeb and Rundu/Nkurenkuru/Elundu in the Ohangwena Region. Most of the roads in the region are sandy and not accessible,” she concluded.
She identified roads, such as D3446 Mayongora/Casava (Charlie-Cut-Line), D3445 Bravo/Mpora, D3444 Gava/Tsintsabis, D3406 Nkurenkuru/Nepara, D3425 Sikanduko/Hamweyi – currently being re-graveled, D3407 Nzinze /Nepara/Mpungu Vlei – currently being re-graveled, D3401 Ncucuni-Cuma and D3427 Mbome/Kamupupu/Pahuka, D3428 Gwagi/Harapembe/Ntaururi and Kwatoko (Katjinakatji) (T0803) to Kano Vlei (D3308).
The NaTIS office at Nkurenkuru was constructed by government at a cost of N$650 000. It is understood that the Ministry of Works will continue to construct new vehicle and drivers testing centres, as well as upgrading of the existing centres around the country.
Kavango West is 99.9 percent rural and undeveloped with high level of poverty. The region is also characterised by high levels of unemployment among women and the youth.
* Beatus Arnat is a senior information officer for Kavango West in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) and is stationed at Nkurenkuru.