Hertta-Maria Amutenja
Executive Director at the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, Teofilus Nghitila, revealed yesterday that rehabilitation work is needed for the roads within Etosha National Park. Nghitila made this announcement during the launch of the Tourist Statistical Report for 2020.
“The Ministry requires additional support for road maintenance and we call upon all stakeholders,” Nghitila stated.
He however expressed gratitude to the Roads Authority for their work on the roads leading to Uis, deeming them to be in excellent condition.
This statement comes in contrast to the ministry’s s earlier denial of allegations and widespread perceptions that Etosha National Park’s roads and facilities were in a state of disarray.
Last year, the ministry’s spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda, stated that the roads within Etosha were generally in good condition.
Muyunda highlighted that a significant portion of the roads had been rehabilitated or consistently maintained.
He announced at the time that a total of 195 kilometers of road had been constructed and completed. This included 69 kilometers between Sonderkop and Olifantstrui, as well as 126 kilometers between Olifantstrui and Galton gate, which included the construction of a dolomite detour costing N$ 35 million.
Furthermore, Muyunda said that ongoing efforts to construct an 86 kilometers road stretch from Ozonjuitji M’bari to Okaukuejo, with an estimated cost of N$ 71.3 million.
During the report launch, Environment Minister Pohamba Shifeta, disclosed that Namibia experienced a significant increase of 98.1 percent in international tourist arrivals from 2021 to 2022.
He pointed out that in 2022, Namibia received 461,027 international tourists, a rise from the 232,756 tourists recorded the previous year.
