Muyako – Ngoma road Opened

Muyako – Ngoma road
STAFF REPORTER RURAL COMMUNITIES at Ibbu Area some 88 KM away the town in the Katima Mulilo Rural Constituency of the Caprivi region, who previously faced challenges with lack of road infrastructures received a 36.5 kilometers brand new gravel road that will link them with the rest of the country and the world.

Officiating at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Works and Transport, Chief Samuel Ankama told the gathering that the construction was done through labour-based approach in order to meet rural development needs towards Namibia’s Vision 2030 in bringing development to rural areas.
The construction of the new Muyako / Ngoma road was made possible with funding from the European Union in Namibia with the tune of N$32.4 million.
The new road network was upgraded from the old short cut streams of the flood plains into a cut line gravel road, which passes through Mahundu, Ibbu, Mutikitila, Ngoma and Isuswa that connects Ngoma road, which links to Kasane of Botswana.
The project was realized by the government of the Republic of Namibia through its commitment in line with the implementation of the national medium term strategy together with the Caprivi regional road master plan that aimed with the rehabilitation of existing roads, upgrading of gravel roads to tarred roads and the construction of gravel roads.
The construction of the gravel road started in September 2007 to February 2010 and has created 500 temporal jobs through the concept of labour-based approach; the contractors were encouraged to buy construction materials from within the region in order to boost the local economy.
The project was first initiated by honourable Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Doreen Siyoka with the community living along the road of Muyako and Ngoma some few years ago.
Two more roads were constructed at Kongola / Zambian boarder of about 22 KM including a 5 KM gravel road to a quarantine camp. New project, which currently underway is the construction of 26 KM gravel road from Izimwe to Nakabolelwa in the most affected flood areas of the Eastern Caprivi.
About 210 KM is to be tarred early 2011 at Liselo to Linyanti / Kongola via Singalamwe road, and the Roads Authority will engage the consultant before the end of this year. The construction of the other road at Kongola via Singalamwe to the boarder of Namibia and Zambia to be build in the near future.
Mr.Ankama cautioned all the road users and everyone in the surrounding to guard against the vandalism of the Road signs.
“In other words, we should stop vandalizing Road signs and we should stop driving recklessly, the safety of our roads is a matter that concerns and stabs me. I therefore warn the road users that the safety regulations should be complied with at all times so that the Namibian national road networks become the safety road in the world” He further.
The European Union in Namibia was represented by Dr Joachim Knoth , Head of the Rural Development Section .According to the Country’s Strategic paper focusing on the rural development, the European Union has injected funds to develop rural road networks as an indicator that expanding the rural networks in the national markets.
In 2002 road networks were about 42 000 Kilometers in Namibia compared to 7 % before 1990 when it raised to 13 % in 2007; 57 % of the people are living more than 2 KM near the road whereas 42 – 43 percent of the rural clinics and schools are without road networks.
The European Union has injected 53 million Euros for rural development and 5 million Euros still pending to carter for other rural infrastructure projects in the country. “We want government taking a full ownership with the resources,” said Dr. Knoth. Namibia has been praised to be leading on the top league among African countries in managing its public funds properly during economic crisis.
He said labour intensive projects to the formally disadvantaged areas still remains as the key indicator for economic growth, employment creation and poverty reduction. The implementation of the action plan took place in July 2010 with some remarkable improvements in presenting progress report by the Ministry of Works and Transport.
The project has brought community who has been cut off the business arena with the rest of the country due to floods and poor road networks that caused delays in transporting local products of the rural farmers. The opening of Muyako / Ngoma road is a positive exercise that will strengthen business corridors with neighboring countries.
“ There is much room of improvement , the EU delegation is now waiting for the final report of this year’s joint review and I instantly hope that the demonstrated progress is efficiently to release the final trench into the state budget” he said.
“Should we ignore high unemployment prevailing in the Caprivi and should we not use the construction rehabilitation of roads to mitigate these over urgent problems? Well… I feel not competent to provide an answer and would like to leave these to competent politicians” Dr. Knoth quashed.
The Caprivi Regional Governor who is also serving as the councillor for Katima Mulilo Rural Constituency welcomed the development that is taking place in his constituency and he added that before the construction of the new road, people used to leave their cars at Bukalo during floods.“I’m glad that some feeder roads have been put to nearby centers and schools,” said Mwilima.
Induna Nickson Kwenani the village headman at Ibbu Area thanked the government for bringing development to his community.
“We struggled for this road particularly myself and comrade Siyoka” noted Kwenani. Kwenani still appealing for the upgrading of roads and the clean water including schools and clinics.

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