Allexer Namundjembo
Sesfontein Constituency Councillor Bernadus //Hoeb is calling for urgent action on road infrastructure, saying the tarred road from Sesfontein to Opuwo is long overdue and should be completed during his term.
Speaking to the Windhoek Observer last Tuesday, //Hoeb said the regional council has a procedure to address roads, but he is yet to see a master plan for Kunene.
“The specific road from Sesfontein to Opuwo was supposed to be tarred long back in 2016 to 2018. During the budget under the tenure of the late President Hage Geingob, there was a budget cut, and the funds for the roads were cut,” he said.
He added that former Roads Authority chief executive officer Conrad Lutombi informed councillors last year that the design for the Sesfontein-Opuwo road is complete and only waiting for approval.
“That road is long overdue. It will connect Otuani and the main capital of the constituency,” //Hoeb said.
“I want the road to be tarred during this term.”
The councillor listed his priorities saying: “There are two roads actually. My priorities are the one from Sesfontein to Buros and the stretch from Omuramba. It is the shortest to Kamanjab. Those are some of the roads I am advocating for.”
//Hoeb’s comments come as residents raise concerns about the state of gravel roads in the region.
Sesfontein resident Moses Kaunda described the 270-kilometre gravel road from Khorixas to Sesfontein as a “destructive road” that damages vehicles.
“Imagine driving a small car on that road daily? It is a disaster. The government should consider tarring the gravel. Even if someone is injured and the ambulance is transporting them, they will die just due to the uncomfortable condition of the road,” Kaunda said.
He questioned whether the government has plans to address gravel roads, which he called “disastrous to vehicles.”
Opuwo Urban constituency councillor, Ueutjerevi Ngunaihe last year said that Opuwo and surrounding areas have been neglected.
“The only road that was developed from gravel to bitumen is the road between Kamanjab and Ruacana. The rest are gravel roads and are worn out,” Ngunaihe said.
He added that rivers cut off access during rainy seasons, sometimes preventing bodies from reaching the Opuwo mortuary for days.
Roads Authority manager of corporate communications, Hileni Fillemon, said the RA spent over N$2.2 million on road maintenance in Kunene this financial year, focusing on blading and reshaping gravel roads.
She said future plans include roads from the MR124 intersection to Otwani, DR3707 from Orupembe to Kaoko-Otavi, and DR3705 from Onjete to the end of the gravel section.
On the Oute River, Fillemon said the RA installed culverts at a cost of about N$3.6 million, but they were washed away.
A larger bridge is planned, but “securing adequate funding for the project remains a challenge.”
She said the Oute Bridge remains a priority.
Efforts to get comment from Kunene Regional Governor Vipua Muharukua were unsuccessful.
