Rundu needs N$ 150 million to rehabilitate its road network

The Rundu Town Council (RTC) has received a total allocation of N$ 6.3 million from the Road Fund Administration (RFA) meant for routine maintenance of the town’s road network.

Rundu over the past years has been struggling to maintain its roads.

Last year, it received a major helping hand from the Roads Authority and RFA to assist it rehabilitate the Sam Nujoma Drive, with designs, costing and management and part of John Mutorwa road in Sauyemwa.

“Looking at the current state of our road network, we will require about N$ 150 million if we are to rehabilitate all our road network. Hence, N$ 6 million is just a drop in the ocean but the council is exploring other avenues to secure funds to invest further towards improving our road network,” RTC’s Chief Executive Officer, Olavi Nathanael told The Namibian in an interview recently.

Nathanael said the funds allocated to it this financial year is mainly to be used for routine and periodic maintenance of its Bitumen and gravel roads.

He said council plans to use part of the funds to rehabilitate Elizabeth Nepemba – Maria Mwengere road which will entail pothole repairs, resealing and low volume seal.

“We also intend to do pothole repairs in Eugene Kakukuru road, and further do some re-gravelling and blading of gravel roads which we are yet to make a final decision on once the cost estimates are done,” said the CEO.

He added that the council has also planned to upgrade Haingura Mise road from Gravel to Bitumen standard which is estimated to cost about N$ 11 million and further upgrade four sandy streets in the informal settlements to gravel to help ease traffic movement and provide access to town at a cost of N$ 3 million.

“We also intend to do road marking on most of our Bitumen roads. Part of these costs will be council’s own fund from rate and taxes, land sales of which the council have budgeted N$ 5 million of its own funding towards road rehabilitation,” said Nathanael.

Last year, the council was put on the spot by RFA’s CEO, Ali Ipinge, and the Minister of Works and Transport, John Mutorwa, for not utilising funds allocated to it by the RFA to maintain its roads.