Lahja Nashuuta
Reviving the now-defunct national carrier Air Namibia, restoring TransNamib’s profitability and rehabilitating the country’s roads infrastructure are high on new works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi’s agenda.
At a time when officials and cronies have been accused of colluding to collapse State capacity to advance capital interests, the government has seemingly tightened the grip on its assets, if his message yesterday is anything to go by.
“We must revive Air Namibia. Consultations will soon begin on rehabilitating our airports and bringing our national airline back to life,” he stated.
The minister plans to repair railway stations across the country to ease pressure on road transport and reduce road accidents.
In an interview with New Era during a familiarisation visit to affected roads, Nekundi reiterated the government’s key priorities as outlined in the Swapo Party manifesto implementation plan.
While acknowledging the ministry’s achievements under former Deputy Prime Minister John Mutorwa, Nekundi reiterated his commitment to implementing pending projects.
He stressed that his key priority is to manage government assets, including vehicles and government housing, ensuring proper maintenance.
Assets beyond repair should also be replaced to maintain smooth operations.
“We have a lot of government fleet vehicles parked in garages across the country. Some need repairs, while others are too old to be fixed. I have instructed the directorates responsible for government assets to provide me with an assessment report,” he added.
“I have instructed TransNamib officials to compile a report on all railway infrastructure in the country so that we can work towards its revival as a viable mode of transport,” Nekundi stated.
He said “one of our key priorities is the rehabilitation of our ageing road infrastructure. Some roads are in a dilapidated state and require urgent attention, while others are still in good condition. The ministry has already begun road assessments to identify those in critical need of repair”.
Although he could not provide an estimated cost for the rehabilitation project, the minister revealed that the government has already invested nearly N$10 million to establish alternative routes following the collapse of the Windhoek-Rehoboth bridge.
Additionally, N$28 million has been set aside for the rehabilitation of a bridge between Osona and Okahandja, which is considered a significant risk, especially during heavy rainfall.
“We have already contracted a company for this project, which is why we have temporarily closed this portion of the road for commuters,” he confirmed.
The government furthermore plans to develop rural road networks to improve access to essential services, such as hospitals.
Nekundi assured the public that his first assignment as minister is to ensure the proper restoration of roads and bridges.
Additionally, he disclosed plans to upgrade the road network between Windhoek and Rehoboth to a dual carriageway to ease congestion and reduce accidents.
The minister visited Rehoboth, Windhoek and Okahandja, where he expressed satisfaction with the Roads Authority’s swift response in constructing an emergency bypass to maintain traffic flow.
He stated that due to the urgency of the situation, the ministry will resort to emergency procurement processes for road repairs.
“This is an emergency. We cannot follow the standard tendering and procurement process,” he said.
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