Community to construct Uukwiyu-Okatyali road

OKATYALI – The construction of the six kilometre Uukwiyu-Okatyali gravel road will be done entirely by the local community, the Minister of Works, Transport and Communications said at the weekend.

Moses Amweelo was responding to the Okatyali community’s demand on Saturday that Government consider the development of the road connecting the constituency to the Ondangwa-Uukwiyu gravel road. Oshana Regional Councillor for the Okatyali constituency, Joseph Mupetami, who spoke on behalf of the community, said his constituency was always cut off from the rest of the region during the rainy season because of a lack of a proper road network.Mupetami said the construction of a good road between Uukwiyu and Okatyali was necessary to address difficulties experienced in bringing Government services to his community.For this reason, he said, the community had decided to volunteer its labour for the construction of their road but wanted Government to provide the necessary support.However, Amweelo told the Okatyali community that because the Uukwiyu-Okatyali road had not yet been proclaimed a road because of predicted low traffic, the Roads Authority could not spend money on its construction.”The initiative by the community to construct it (road) as a pilot project is however supported,” Amweelo said.The Minister disclosed that 25 such road projects were earmarked for construction in the four north-north central regions of Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Oshana and Omusati.So far only four have been shortlisted.If the Uukwiyu-Okatyali road was to be developed, Amweelo felt the construction had to comply with the standards of the Road Authority for labour-based construction.Some road engineers accompanied the Minister to Okatyali.- NampaOshana Regional Councillor for the Okatyali constituency, Joseph Mupetami, who spoke on behalf of the community, said his constituency was always cut off from the rest of the region during the rainy season because of a lack of a proper road network.Mupetami said the construction of a good road between Uukwiyu and Okatyali was necessary to address difficulties experienced in bringing Government services to his community.For this reason, he said, the community had decided to volunteer its labour for the construction of their road but wanted Government to provide the necessary support.However, Amweelo told the Okatyali community that because the Uukwiyu-Okatyali road had not yet been proclaimed a road because of predicted low traffic, the Roads Authority could not spend money on its construction.”The initiative by the community to construct it (road) as a pilot project is however supported,” Amweelo said.The Minister disclosed that 25 such road projects were earmarked for construction in the four north-north central regions of Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Oshana and Omusati.So far only four have been shortlisted.If the Uukwiyu-Okatyali road was to be developed, Amweelo felt the construction had to comply with the standards of the Road Authority for labour-based construction.Some road engineers accompanied the Minister to Okatyali.- Nampa