Windhoek
Zambezi Regional Governor Lawrence Sampofu says his region finds it difficult to complete some capital projects on time due to frequent floods that displace thousands of residents in the low-lying areas.
Over the past few years, Namibia has experienced heavy flooding, particularly in the Zambezi Region. The 2010 floods were particularly devastating, but the region has experienced increasingly frequent floods – 2004 and 2009 – and suffered several consecutive years of droughts.
In an interview with New Era yesterday, Governor Sampofu said the floods impact severely on the implementation of government programmes in the region, as the villages are often inaccessible to implement capital projects, especially due to lack of water and electricity infrastructure, among others.
“The whole of western Zambezi (from Kongola to Chetto) has no electricity. Even the eastern side (Kabbe) is also affected because of the floods. We cannot complete projects on time.
“Sometimes by the time tenders are approved, the floods are there and people cannot go and put up infrastructure, such as electricity poles. All these are delays for us,” he said.
He feels government should fast-track the tender process so that projects can kick-start during the dry season – from July to November – especially in the flood-prone areas.
“Sometimes the tenders are approved during October and November and it’s too late, because the rains would have started. All these [delays] affect service delivery for our residents, because we cannot implement capital projects during floods,” he noted.
He also said frequent flooding compromised the implementation of other planned activities, as the entire first half of the year was spent responding to the disaster caused by the floods.
Further, he attributed some delays to contractors, who are awarded tenders and abandon the construction site without completing the job. Some of the projects that still need to be completed include the Katima Mulilo clinic, which will be upgraded to a health centre.
Another is the Ibbu and Kabbe staff housing block, as well as a clinic for each of the said rural areas during the current financial year.
Other incomplete projects include the upgrading and construction of various schools all over the vast region, which were already budgeted for during the previous financial year.
Moreover, it is evident that capital projects under the directorate of water supply and sanitation coordination in the Ministry of Agriculture have been completed on time and residents are reaping the fruits.
“It is imperative to provide potable water to our rural communities. It is envisaged by 2019 the residents of Zambezi Region will have potable water. Those living along the rivers and flood-prone areas will continue receiving boreholes and purification tablets to protect them from diseases, such as bilharzia and diarrhea,” he said.
Over the years, residents of Katima Mulilo and other localities in the Zambezi Region have been without tap water for days and many were forced to walk as far as the Zambezi River to fetch water for household use. The task of drawing water is not only tiring, but exposes residents to crocodile attacks and water-borne diseases.