KATIMA MULILO – Over 300 people will be employed during the upgrading of the Namalubi, Kalimbeza and Isize road in the Zambezi Region.
The project will be fully funded by the government at a total cost of close to N$437 million of which about N$120 million will go to local contractors.
The Minister of Works and Transport, Erkki Nghimtina, last week on Thursday did the groundbreaking for the roads at Namalubi.
The project will comprise of the upgrading to bitumen standard of the Namalubi, Kalimbeza and Isize road which is 22-kilometres long, construction of a gravel road between Isize and Luhonono and the surfacing of the two-kilometre road to the Kalimbeza rice farm.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony witnessed by a large crowd of people, Nghimtina said the roads will serve local people and allow rural communities better access to services. They will also facilitate government to access communities and take services to the people including health, information on HIV/AIDS, counselling, prevention programmes and antiretroviral distribution.
He stressed that the improved road network will contribute to the betterment of the livelihood of the people by bringing them closer to goods and labour markets, and channel tourists to the rural areas.
Nghimtina added that government is committed to ensure the road the road network is built to the highest standards and well maintained in order to facilitate trade throughout Namibia and beyond its borders.
“We can proudly say that the Namibian road network is one of the best in Africa as it has been proven throughout the years,” Nghimtina said.
Speaking at the same ceremony the Governor of Zambezi Region Lawrence Sampofu welcomed government efforts to upgrade the roads in the region saying he was particularly happy four local contractors will take part in the project and he urged other contractors to tender for the projects.
He also urged contractors to consult with traditional leaders in the communities on any information they need “because it is good to mix technical and traditional knowledge”.
The road will traverse the Zambezi River floodplains which will be helpful as local people will no longer be cut off from essential services during the rainy season as has been the case in the past.
The project is expected to create over 300 jobs and will take over 30 months to complete.
Hamutenya Matheus