Govt needs N$100m for a botched airport job

AN ADDITIONAL N$100 million will be needed to fix a taxiway at Katima Mulilo’s Mpacha airport in the Zambezi region after a handsomely paid contractor delivered substandard and incomplete work.

Candino Mining & Construction was awarded the N$62 million runway rehabilitation contract in 2013 to fix potholes, which contract was later extended to include some other repair work at the airport.

Candino abandoned the project in March this year without having done much, but still having been paid for the work. Works deputy minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa, who toured the airport last week, said government would need another N$100 million to continue with and complete the project.

He added that his ministry would investigate why the contractor had been paid in full even though the project had not been completed, and that which had been delivered was of poor quality.

“This project cost us N$62 million. Now it has to be redone. That is just unacceptable. This is a waste of government money and someone needs to account for it,” Sankwasa stressed.

“I, therefore, order that those contractors should not return to this site any more. As from 1 June, we will find another company that can do a proper job,” he said.

Sankwasa promised that he would see to it that a proper investigation is undertaken to identify those responsible for the waste of money.

“In the midst of our current financial crisis, such waste of taxpayers’ money is not acceptable,” he said.

“We will definitely go deeper into this project and find out how much was exactly spent, invoice by invoice. Why was the money spent if the job was poorly done?” he asked.

Sankwasa also said the scope of the work had been changed so that what was supposed to have been a one-year project turned into a four-year job. He claimed that the responsible department in the works ministry had never informed the ministerial leadership about Mpacha’s contractual issues.

“That is not good for our management. I cannot protect them because both the management and political principals of government are appointed for one thing – service delivery, and nothing else,” he said. Sankwasa likewise slammed the airport’s management and infrastructure as the poorest in the country.

“The airport itself looks like a bush where you can come for hunting. There is even grass growing on the landing strip, and management is not doing anything,” he said, adding that the airport was strategic infrastructure.

“If this airport is in ruins like this, how do we attract tourism? We must know that our neighbours here have up-to-standard airports, and tourists will preferably use them, compared to this one. All I can say is that the ministry and their agents are failing to execute their duties at this airport,” he stated.

The Namibia Airports Company’s (NAC) spokesperson Nankelo Katjiuongua declined to comment, saying it was a ministerial issue. However, she indicated that the infrastructure of both the Rundu and Katima Mulilo airports were in need of extensive upgrades.

“The upgrading and expansion of the terminal buildings, runways, taxiways and aprons, to mention but a few, are some key infrastructure works that need to be undertaken,” Katjiuongua said, adding that the works ministry was already busy rehabilitating some infrastructure at Mpacha.

She said given the general financial constraints, NAC had prioritised the Hosea Kutako International Airport, Eros, Walvis Bay and Ondangwa airports for facilities’ upgrades.

“The next cycle of the NAC’s strategic plan will be focusing on the development of the remaining four airports, namely Rundu, Katima Mulilo, Luderitz and Keetmanshoop airports,” Katjiuongua noted.