RUNDU – Works and transport minister John Mutorwa has concurred with Munkwe constituency residents who demand the upgrade of a stretch of 19km gravel road from Bagani village to the Muhembo border post in the Mukwe constituency. They submitted a petition for his attention on Saturday.
Mutorwa said this road is an important
link to the border post, which connects Namibia to neighbouring Botswana.
The DR3403, also known as the Divundu-Bagani-Muhembo road, is earmarked for upgrade to bitumen standards as per the
Roads Authority (RA)’s integrated strategic business plan of 2022/23-2026/27.
“The said road forms a strategic link with the Trans-Zambezi and Trans-Kalahari highways. The RA and the ministry’s
transport department are urged to speed up the practical implementation of the mentioned road, as well as many such planned roads throughout Namibia,” he noted.
Citizen Aron Mundaya had earlier read and submitted a petition on behalf of the concerned community.
“We, the undersigned concerned citizens of Namibia from the Mukwe constituency, are writing this petition to express our deep dissatisfaction with the state of the DR3403: Divundu – Bagani-Muhembo road. Despite promises made by the government and ministry of transportation for the past 17 years to have this road tarred, it remains in a deplorable condition,” he charged.
The said road was first upgraded from gravel but only about 13km in 2000 (23 years ago). Now, the community wants the remainder of the 19.3km to be upgraded from gravel road to bitumen (tarred).
“According to information provided by
the Ministry of Works and Transport,
together with the RA, the road was supposed to proceed and be paved to bitumen standard, as it is a national road connecting countries. Heavy trucks using this route to cross the border have made the road not accessible by small vehicles,” Mundaya stated.
He said for the past 20 years, the community has been engaging the authorities to complete
the remaining distance, but to no avail.
In April 2021, a team of engineers was appointed by the RA to undertake a study to upgrade the road to ‘bitumen standards’. Enquiries to the RA confirmed that the design was completed successfully. However, it has been almost three years since consultative meetings were held in 2021 by RA representatives and EMCON Consulting Engineers,” he continued.
“This road connects us to our neighbours, such as Botswana, South Africa and other Southern African Development Community countries, and it contributes to our national revenue through taxes, border charges, tourism charges and trade between the two countries,” Mundaya added.
The road is also used by many tourists, as it passes through the Mahango Game Park in Bwabwata West, while there are government centres and lodges along it.
“However, due to its substandard gravel condition, it has been deteriorated by heavy and abnormal trucks that use it. This, in turn, has led to several problems among the community that uses the road to go to work, school and other places,” he continued.
“We are also dismayed that even during the official opening of Divundu NATIS, the Minister of Works and Transport promised us that the Divundu-Muhembo road would be constructed sooner that year. But to date, nothing has happened,” he said.
The petitioners furthermore highlighted the need to construct the approved Andara-Shamaturu road, of which the advert closed in July 2023.
“And yet, the contractor is not appointed; what will follow next is for us to be told there are no funds. We are, therefore, appealing to the concerned authorities to take this matter seriously, and attend to it immediately, as it is a pressing issue that needs their full attention,” Mundanya added.
- jmuyamba@nepc.com.na