RUNDU – Roads Authority (RA) CEO, Conrad Lutombi recently expressed satisfaction with road development activities underway in Kavango East.
Lutombi, along with RA engineers visited three projects in the region to familiarise themselves with progress made so far.
Lutombi first visited the rehabilitation of the 27km on the Rundu-Divundu trunk road. “We held a meeting because this contract was already awarded in February, and the contractor has already completed the establishment but then they were having some challenges with regards to the crusher, as the whole rehabilitation depends on crushed stone material in terms of the subbase, as well as the base therefore,” he said.
Lutombi said transport minister Veikko Nekundi also visited the projects and there were some issues he recommended to be resolved.
“We are trying to resolve the matter and we were given assignments and we are following up on those assignments and will take the feedback to the minister, and there after we will take action to ensure we don’t have a contractor who is ready established but wait to start charging us for standing time while there’s no progress. But we resolved that matter, after briefing the minister, we will engage the Divundu local authority,’’ he said.
The RA is also opening the Ndiyona-Djaradjara road in Ndiyona constituency.
“It’s a 53 km project, for now we have appointed a contractor for about 35 km, and in terms of the project the contractor in terms of de-bushing and clearing they have progressed to 18 km, and in terms of putting a layer of gravel material they are at four kilometres,’’ he said while on site.
However, the project is not without challenges.
“We hope to finish up to 53 km by next year December or the year after as the area is very sandy. Another challenge is the issue of compensation, we have homesteads on the alignment of the road and they have already completed compensation forms but compensation has not been done and they are not willing to relocate until they are paid. Since the compensation is to be done by our line ministry, we are going back to engage the ministry and make sure we compensate them,” he noted.
On the Andara-Shamaturu project in Mukwe constituency, the contractor who was appointed in February has cleared and de-bushed about 13 km.
However, no gravelling activities have taken place as the contractors have not been paid a cent on their certificates since the start.
The said project is due for completion next year. “The progress on the project is standing at 11% and as much as we would want to blame the contractor for slow performance, it would be unfair because since the contractor started, they have not been paid for the certificates due to budgetary issues. It’s a government funded project, therefore we had an engagement with the ministry and they have now started paying, it is an emerging contractor, SME and now that they are receiving payment, they now need to revise the work and escalate the work programme,’’ he said.
Lutombi said the contractors on the projects are committed and RA will support them into delivering finished projects.
“We also proceeded to the Divundu – Mohembo upgrading to bitumen project, its a 32 km project, we have started with Phase 1 which is 5 km first, I’m quite very happy to say that in terms of production they are quite ahead of schedule, it’s a 10-month project,’’ he said.
On his part, Mukwe constituency councillor and chairperson of the Kavango East Regional Council, Damian Maghambayi was also pleased with the progress.
“I’m assuring community members who are affected by this project that they will be compensated, let’s not block them from doing their work, we demanded this development, let’s support them,’’ he said.