Motorists fed up with Rundu's streets
06 November 2018 | Infrastructure
Motorists are frustrated with the Rundu town council's failure to maintain the town's streets, saying that potholes cause a lot of damage to their cars.
At the weekend Namibian Sun spoke to some Rundu residents who complained about the state of the town's streets.
Large potholes force drivers to either stop in the middle of the street to use the opposite lane to proceed, or swerve onto the road shoulder.
“We are tired of driving into these potholes. Our tyres are wearing out and I often have to go to the garage to check that no screws or other parts of my vehicle had fallen off because of the bad roads. It is not that the town council is unaware of it; they also drive on these roads,” one motorist said on condition of anonymity.
“They know about these issues, they just don't care.”
Another motorist with the rainy season fast approaching the situation will get worse if not addressed urgently.
“It's already started raining and the roads are not yet fixed. Once we receive heavy rains a lot of motorists will feel the pinch. It is not as if there is a road for council officials and another for the residents. They too are affected and I don't understand why they are not acting,” the source said.
When contacted for comment, Rundu's acting CEO, Sikongo Haihambo, denied that the council was unwilling to fix the roads and said the situation was caused by financial constraints.
Haihambo said the council's monthly revenue was about N$7 million, of which N$4 million is used to pay the NamWater bill and the remainder is used to pay salaries and other expenses.
“We have revenue of N$7 to N$8 million per month and N$4 million goes to water and N$3 million goes to payroll. What are you left with? Nothing. With that nothing we still have to do refuse removal and maintain the road reserves,” Haihambo said.
Despite the limited funds, Haihambo said the council would consider all possible ways of addressing the issue of bad roads and other challenges that face the town.
“We are going to do whatever is possible within our limited means to patch up the potholes, whether it's going to be on a temporary basis or permanent basis,” Haihambo said.
He further said if the council's monthly revenue could go up to N$12 million it would make a big difference, but it would mean that other revenue streams must be improved.
KENYA KAMBOWE
At the weekend Namibian Sun spoke to some Rundu residents who complained about the state of the town's streets.
Large potholes force drivers to either stop in the middle of the street to use the opposite lane to proceed, or swerve onto the road shoulder.
“We are tired of driving into these potholes. Our tyres are wearing out and I often have to go to the garage to check that no screws or other parts of my vehicle had fallen off because of the bad roads. It is not that the town council is unaware of it; they also drive on these roads,” one motorist said on condition of anonymity.
“They know about these issues, they just don't care.”
Another motorist with the rainy season fast approaching the situation will get worse if not addressed urgently.
“It's already started raining and the roads are not yet fixed. Once we receive heavy rains a lot of motorists will feel the pinch. It is not as if there is a road for council officials and another for the residents. They too are affected and I don't understand why they are not acting,” the source said.
When contacted for comment, Rundu's acting CEO, Sikongo Haihambo, denied that the council was unwilling to fix the roads and said the situation was caused by financial constraints.
Haihambo said the council's monthly revenue was about N$7 million, of which N$4 million is used to pay the NamWater bill and the remainder is used to pay salaries and other expenses.
“We have revenue of N$7 to N$8 million per month and N$4 million goes to water and N$3 million goes to payroll. What are you left with? Nothing. With that nothing we still have to do refuse removal and maintain the road reserves,” Haihambo said.
Despite the limited funds, Haihambo said the council would consider all possible ways of addressing the issue of bad roads and other challenges that face the town.
“We are going to do whatever is possible within our limited means to patch up the potholes, whether it's going to be on a temporary basis or permanent basis,” Haihambo said.
He further said if the council's monthly revenue could go up to N$12 million it would make a big difference, but it would mean that other revenue streams must be improved.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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