Patience Makwele
A 2023 agreement between the City of Windhoek and Innovate Group to mobilise private-sector funding for the rehabilitation of Zoo Park has lapsed without delivering the planned upgrades, the municipality has confirmed.
The municipality told the Windhoek Observer that despite engagements with potential private-sector partners, no formal financial commitments were secured and the required letters of intent from prospective funders were never submitted.
“Consequently, the agreement lapsed without the implementation of the envisaged upgrade works,” the City said.
The municipality is now pursuing a separate rehabilitation initiative, which will require Zoo Park to close to the public for six months, with the closure anticipated early next year.
The planned works include horticultural landscaping and greenery enhancement, upgrades to the irrigation system, restoration of the fishpond and the installation and rehabilitation of underground water storage infrastructure.
A maintenance plan is also envisaged to support the park’s long-term upkeep.
The City said the current initiative is independent of the 2023 arrangement with Innovate Group and is being undertaken as a new municipal project.
The estimated value of the rehabilitation has not been disclosed, as the procurement process is still underway and financial proposals have not yet been received and evaluated.
The City said the commencement date would depend on the completion of the procurement process and the appointment of a successful service provider.
The development follows concerns raised by MPs during an October parliamentary committee engagement, where members questioned the deteriorating condition of Zoo Park, its maintenance and the municipality’s plans to restore the recreational facility.
In an earlier report by this publication, CoW chief executive officer Moses Matyayi warned that certain areas of the park could not be guaranteed safe for public use.
“There are certain aspects that we cannot guarantee safety based on our assessment,” Matyayi told MPs, warning that members of the public could be injured and that the City could face legal claims.
MP Vaino Angula also questioned why the park’s amphitheatre, which previously hosted performances and television launches, had reportedly remained unused for more than 15 years.
The 2023 agreement with Innovate Group was intended to coordinate private-sector financial and technical support for the renovation and maintenance of Zoo Park.
The arrangement was expected to help mobilise resources for the facility while reducing the City’s maintenance and security costs over a 10-year period.
However, the City’s latest response confirms that the anticipated funding was not secured and the planned rehabilitation did not take place under the agreement.
The new initiative comes as the municipality seeks to address the park’s deteriorating infrastructure through its own procurement process.
The City has not provided a project cost or a confirmed date for the start of the rehabilitation works. It has, however, confirmed that the park will be closed for six months once the works commence.
