Etosha roads get attention
N$700m invested over five years
The government regularly allocates funds to renovate 'tourist roads' nationwide.
Over the next five years, the road network stretching more than 1 000 kilometres in the Etosha National Park - which covers 24 000 km² - will be renovated to compete with the standard of South Africa's Kruger National Park.
This according to tourism ministry executive director, Teofilus Nghitila.
He and Ali Ipinge, the CEO of the Road Fund Administration (RFA), signed an agreement for N$700 million last Wednesday to finance these roadworks.
About N$50 million has already been spent on Etosha's roads in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years, the RFA's senior engineer, Nehemiah Kapofi, said.
Ipinge said government regularly allocates funds to renovate ‘tourist roads’ nationwide.
In Etosha, 271 km of dirt roads have been renovated since 2020. This after Cabinet instructed the RFA to support the ministry. Ipinge said a total of about N$200 million was spent on Etosha's roads, with the RFA covering about 79% of this cost.
Traffic
A large part of the five-year project is to tar the road that runs through the heart of Etosha - from Okaukuejo through Halali to the King Nehale gate. Dirt roads and access roads to the waterholes are also being renovated.
Etosha's roads carry traffic of between 43 000 and 44 000 vehicles annually.
"It's a lot of traffic," Ipinge said.
With normal maintenance, the new tarmac's lifespan is at least 15 years, he added.
"The ministry will have to ensure that vehicle owners at the gates contribute to the road's maintenance costs, by charging a tariff in favour of an infrastructure fund in the future," the RFA head said.
Nghitila highlighted that Etosha is Namibia's leading tourist attraction, and said the maintenance of the park's roads is a major project to undertake.
“Etosha is the national tourism flagship. [Years ago], we closed for the rainy season, and our employees used that time to rehabilitate the roads. The ministry was well equipped at the time with the necessary capacity, which is no longer there.
"We tried to do it ourselves in 2019, but we couldn't. The equipment was already too old by then and our road operators had already retired. We had to look for alternatives because the situation became unbearable due to complaints from tourists, tour operators and resort owners," he said.
Smooth sailing
"The majority of our roads [in Etosha] are now in good condition. Visitors don't complain and the camps are full again, which means more revenue for the state,” Ipinge said.
According to Nghitila, the five-year project “will bring Etosha's roads to the same standard as, for example, the Kruger National Park”.
“I expect traffic to increase in terms of local tourists and visitors. Come see for yourself and appreciate the work we do. You can even visit the park with a sedan vehicle. The roads are now smooth.”
Ipinge explained that the money comes from existing sources and is not borrowed, therefore, “as financiers, we would want reliable local contractors to be appointed. However, this remains the responsibility of the ministry”.
However, Nghitila said the project's value is higher than the threshold set by the Procurement Act and therefore the Central Procurement Board of Namibia will have to award the contracts.
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This according to tourism ministry executive director, Teofilus Nghitila.
He and Ali Ipinge, the CEO of the Road Fund Administration (RFA), signed an agreement for N$700 million last Wednesday to finance these roadworks.
About N$50 million has already been spent on Etosha's roads in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years, the RFA's senior engineer, Nehemiah Kapofi, said.
Ipinge said government regularly allocates funds to renovate ‘tourist roads’ nationwide.
In Etosha, 271 km of dirt roads have been renovated since 2020. This after Cabinet instructed the RFA to support the ministry. Ipinge said a total of about N$200 million was spent on Etosha's roads, with the RFA covering about 79% of this cost.
Traffic
A large part of the five-year project is to tar the road that runs through the heart of Etosha - from Okaukuejo through Halali to the King Nehale gate. Dirt roads and access roads to the waterholes are also being renovated.
Etosha's roads carry traffic of between 43 000 and 44 000 vehicles annually.
"It's a lot of traffic," Ipinge said.
With normal maintenance, the new tarmac's lifespan is at least 15 years, he added.
"The ministry will have to ensure that vehicle owners at the gates contribute to the road's maintenance costs, by charging a tariff in favour of an infrastructure fund in the future," the RFA head said.
Nghitila highlighted that Etosha is Namibia's leading tourist attraction, and said the maintenance of the park's roads is a major project to undertake.
“Etosha is the national tourism flagship. [Years ago], we closed for the rainy season, and our employees used that time to rehabilitate the roads. The ministry was well equipped at the time with the necessary capacity, which is no longer there.
"We tried to do it ourselves in 2019, but we couldn't. The equipment was already too old by then and our road operators had already retired. We had to look for alternatives because the situation became unbearable due to complaints from tourists, tour operators and resort owners," he said.
Smooth sailing
"The majority of our roads [in Etosha] are now in good condition. Visitors don't complain and the camps are full again, which means more revenue for the state,” Ipinge said.
According to Nghitila, the five-year project “will bring Etosha's roads to the same standard as, for example, the Kruger National Park”.
“I expect traffic to increase in terms of local tourists and visitors. Come see for yourself and appreciate the work we do. You can even visit the park with a sedan vehicle. The roads are now smooth.”
Ipinge explained that the money comes from existing sources and is not borrowed, therefore, “as financiers, we would want reliable local contractors to be appointed. However, this remains the responsibility of the ministry”.
However, Nghitila said the project's value is higher than the threshold set by the Procurement Act and therefore the Central Procurement Board of Namibia will have to award the contracts.
– [email protected]
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