Stalled N$16m Rundu fisheries office complex back on track, ministry says

The fisheries ministry says consultants have completed a structural reassessment of its abandoned Rundu office complex and are finalising project documentation, expected by October.Once the works and transport ministry has reviewed the paperwork, a new contractor will be appointed through an open tender, the ministry confirmed last week. The N$16 million complex, launched in 2012 as a permanent base for fisheries staff, has seen no progress in six years.The half-built structure stands unfinished, surrounded by overgrown grass, shrubs and wild trees, with no activity on site.In the meantime, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has confirmed that it pays N$39 100 per month – nearly N$470 000 per year – to rent office space in Rundu from Rosa Welding and Construction CC. The contract runs until October 2026, following the expiry of the ministry’s lease with the Namibia Industrial Development Agency (NIDA) in November 2022.Costs likely to increaseAccording to earlier Namibian Sun reports, the complex was planned to include not only office space for fisheries inspectors, aquaculture staff and researchers, but also facilities such as an ablution block, workshop, a wash bay and net drying area, a fish feed store, boat and trailer storage, a generator room and guard house.“The contract with Africa Civil Engineering was terminated. Once the project documentation is approved, the ministry will publicly advertise the works, and if Africa Civil Engineering is interested, they may submit a bid,” the ministry confirmed last week. For the upcoming financial year, N$4.9 million has been allocated to the project, though the ministry admitted further funds will be required once updated costs are established.Contractual disputesThe ministry attributed the decade-long delay in completing the modern office hub to contractual disputes, procurement hold-ups and changes in project scope.It said resources had to be diverted to repair a damaged boundary wall and to install gabions to stabilise stormwater channels. Security personnel have also been appointed to protect the property from vandalism.Still, the prolonged stalling has raised questions about accountability and planning, particularly given the ongoing rental costs.Africa Civil Engineering, the second contractor on site after Executive City Construction was removed in 2012, left in 2017 following disagreements over rates and delayed government payments.Africa Civil Engineering’s CEO, Petrus Kapula, previously said the company was ready to return but argued that the previous rates were outdated and no longer viable.The company claimed that non-payment for several months forced it off-site and warned that exposure to weather damage would push costs even higher than initially budgeted.Between 2015 and 2017, the company received approximately N$5.8 million for the work completed. Additionally, a further N$643 000 was retained by the works ministry, payable upon project completion – which never occurred.Although limited construction resumed briefly after 2017, work only continued until 2019 before grinding to a halt once more, leaving the site dormant for the past six years.

Stalled N$16m Rundu fisheries office complex back on track, ministry says

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-09-10

Please login to leave a comment

Stalled N$16m Rundu fisheries office complex back on track, ministry says

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-09-10

Please login to leave a comment

Login