TSUMEB - The Tsumeb Municipality, Road Fund Administration (RFA) and Roads Authority (RA) on Tuesday signed a three-year agreement to maintain and rehabilitate key roads in the town that have become dilapidated.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Tsumeb, RFA CEO Ali Ipinge said his organisation has reemphasised its commitment to playing its part in the development and expansion of Namibian roads by assisting local authorities to maintain their urban arterial roads and streets.

“The RFA will commit N$19.9 million in the year 2024/25 and N$20 million in the following year of 2025/26 to assist the municipality in rehabilitating Hage Geingob Drive, which is a 2.1 kilometre-long road entering Tsumeb from Otavi,” said Ipinge.

Namutoni Road, which covers 6.8 kilometres, linking Tsumeb to Oshivelo and Dr Sam Nujoma Drive, is the main urban road in the Tsumeb central business district and will also benefit from the rehabilitation.

He said the funds will be derived from road user charges funding as in the past, noting that RFA collected N$2.3 billion in revenue, of which N$1.04 billion was derived from the fuel levy.

“Over the past 2.5 years, the funding allocations to the local authorities has doubled from N$104 million to N$216 million, which demonstrates our commitment to the betterment and improvement of urban roads,” Ipinge said.

RA CEO Conrad Lutombi in a speech delivered on his behalf, said their partnership with RFA and the Tsumeb Municipality will improve the livelihoods of their communities and the quality of life of citizens in the area.

“We are also happy to support the notion that these roads will again become one of the reasonable roads in the area,” he said. -Nampa