NWR receives tanker trucks
The government is investing in sanitation infrastructure at national resorts run by Namibia Wildlife Resorts.
ELLANIE SMIT
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has handed over three tanker trucks worth more than N$4.5 million to assist Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) with the supply of drinking water and servicing of toilet facilities at resorts in the south.
According to tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta, a lack of maintenance of sewage systems at some resorts could have serious environmental and health consequences if groundwater becomes contaminated.
“As water in Namibia is a sensitive and scarce resource, it is important to ensure that sanitation in our parks is among the priority areas of management,” Shifeta said.
Shifeta said one vacuum tanker truck with a capacity of 12 000 litres will be allocated to Ai-Ais, Hobas and the Fish River Canyon Viewpoint. The cost of the truck is more than N$1.7 million.
The other two tanker trucks with a capacity of 10 000 litres each - one for transporting sewage and another one for transporting fresh water, will be allocated to Sesriem and Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft Park. The two trucks cost more than N$1.3 million each.
Shifeta said in order to ensure that national parks are managed well, the ministry has supported NWR with infrastructure development to address the hazardous environmental situation at national parks, particularly Etosha, Ai-Ais, Hardap and Namib-Naukluft.
So far, the ministry has made major repairs to the sewer systems at Okaukuejo in the Etosha National Park at a cost of N$450 000, Halali at a cost of N$1.4 million, Namutoni at a cost of N$260 741 and at Hardap at a cost of N$706 749.
The ministry is currently renovating the ablution facilities at Dune 7 at the coast. The project is 75% complete and will be ready before the festive season. This project costs N$330 673.
Shifeta said the ministry also took note of recent reports about the toilets in Etosha National Park. A feasibility study was conducted in 2014 and the ministry is working to replace the toilets with more environmentally friendly ones.
He said although this project was budgeted for in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 financial years, it could not start because of technical and financial constraints. It will start in the 2017/18 financial year.
NWR’s board chairperson, Leonard Iipumbu, said the donation of the trucks could not have come at a more opportune time, as rest camps are struggling to cope with the increasing challenges of water and wastewater management.
“The procured trucks that we are happily receiving will contribute hugely to enhanced management of our sewage systems given the pressure from the increasing number of visitors to our camps.”
Iipumbu also informed the minister of the progress the company has made since the board was appointed.
He said one of its resorts, Okaukuejo in Etosha, had reached N$100 million in revenue during the 2015/16 financial year. He attributed this to the strong leadership qualities of the managing director, Zelna Hengari, who he said the board had total confidence in.
He assured the minister that the board’s sole objective was to get NWR to become profitable and pay dividends to the government.
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has handed over three tanker trucks worth more than N$4.5 million to assist Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) with the supply of drinking water and servicing of toilet facilities at resorts in the south.
According to tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta, a lack of maintenance of sewage systems at some resorts could have serious environmental and health consequences if groundwater becomes contaminated.
“As water in Namibia is a sensitive and scarce resource, it is important to ensure that sanitation in our parks is among the priority areas of management,” Shifeta said.
Shifeta said one vacuum tanker truck with a capacity of 12 000 litres will be allocated to Ai-Ais, Hobas and the Fish River Canyon Viewpoint. The cost of the truck is more than N$1.7 million.
The other two tanker trucks with a capacity of 10 000 litres each - one for transporting sewage and another one for transporting fresh water, will be allocated to Sesriem and Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft Park. The two trucks cost more than N$1.3 million each.
Shifeta said in order to ensure that national parks are managed well, the ministry has supported NWR with infrastructure development to address the hazardous environmental situation at national parks, particularly Etosha, Ai-Ais, Hardap and Namib-Naukluft.
So far, the ministry has made major repairs to the sewer systems at Okaukuejo in the Etosha National Park at a cost of N$450 000, Halali at a cost of N$1.4 million, Namutoni at a cost of N$260 741 and at Hardap at a cost of N$706 749.
The ministry is currently renovating the ablution facilities at Dune 7 at the coast. The project is 75% complete and will be ready before the festive season. This project costs N$330 673.
Shifeta said the ministry also took note of recent reports about the toilets in Etosha National Park. A feasibility study was conducted in 2014 and the ministry is working to replace the toilets with more environmentally friendly ones.
He said although this project was budgeted for in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 financial years, it could not start because of technical and financial constraints. It will start in the 2017/18 financial year.
NWR’s board chairperson, Leonard Iipumbu, said the donation of the trucks could not have come at a more opportune time, as rest camps are struggling to cope with the increasing challenges of water and wastewater management.
“The procured trucks that we are happily receiving will contribute hugely to enhanced management of our sewage systems given the pressure from the increasing number of visitors to our camps.”
Iipumbu also informed the minister of the progress the company has made since the board was appointed.
He said one of its resorts, Okaukuejo in Etosha, had reached N$100 million in revenue during the 2015/16 financial year. He attributed this to the strong leadership qualities of the managing director, Zelna Hengari, who he said the board had total confidence in.
He assured the minister that the board’s sole objective was to get NWR to become profitable and pay dividends to the government.
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