Dolam reports are ‘not for public consumption’

THE City of Windhoek is keeping the findings of its investigation into the cause of the flooding in Katutura’s Dolam section in January under wraps.

It maintains they are not for public consumption. The City’s spokesperson, Ndangi Katoma, told The Namibian yesterday that it was the City Council that instructed two independent engineers to do the studies and the findings were for their eyes only.Katoma was responding to a question whether the City intends to release the reports.He said the main aim of having such studies done was to help the City get to the bottom of the matter and find a permanent solution.The owners of the 14 homes that were flooded blamed the construction of the new Sam Nujoma Stadium in Katutura.But Katoma said the two independent engineers – Buhrmann and Partners and Lund Consulting Engineers – found that the storm-water structure at the stadium was designed “according to generally acceptable engineering practices”.He said the two reports were approved at the last monthly City Council meeting, behind closed doors in terms of the legislation that governs local authorities.These findings are in conflict with another report by Windhoek Consulting Engineers (WCE), which was instructed by the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) on behalf of the homeowners.WCE found that the flood was caused by serious design flaws in the stadium, as the affected residents had earlier claimed.The LAC says it is consulting with its clients on the possibility of taking the City to court.The City’s spokesperson, Ndangi Katoma, told The Namibian yesterday that it was the City Council that instructed two independent engineers to do the studies and the findings were for their eyes only.Katoma was responding to a question whether the City intends to release the reports.He said the main aim of having such studies done was to help the City get to the bottom of the matter and find a permanent solution.The owners of the 14 homes that were flooded blamed the construction of the new Sam Nujoma Stadium in Katutura.But Katoma said the two independent engineers – Buhrmann and Partners and Lund Consulting Engineers – found that the storm-water structure at the stadium was designed “according to generally acceptable engineering practices”.He said the two reports were approved at the last monthly City Council meeting, behind closed doors in terms of the legislation that governs local authorities.These findings are in conflict with another report by Windhoek Consulting Engineers (WCE), which was instructed by the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) on behalf of the homeowners.WCE found that the flood was caused by serious design flaws in the stadium, as the affected residents had earlier claimed.The LAC says it is consulting with its clients on the possibility of taking the City to court.