Ruacana stairway to be restored
The damaged stairway leading to the bottom of the famous waterfall, which straddles the border with Angola, is to be repaired in order to attract tourists.
The Ruacana town council plans to restore the abandoned 400-step stairway leading to the bottom of the Ruacana waterfall and turn it into a tourist attraction.
The stairway was constructed in 1964 and is situated in the buffer zone between Namibia and Angola, making it difficult for any authority to accept responsibility for it.
Ruacana mayor Linea Shikale says they are in talks with the relevant authorities in Namibia and Angola regarding the ownership and maintenance of the stairway.
Shikale says the town is popular because of its famous waterfall and the council planned to cash in on its tourism potential.
“We are planning to develop the waterfall area and make it a recreational area. This place attracts a lot of people to our town, especially during the festive season. This is also in line with our strategic plan since we would like to promote our town through tourism,” Shikale said.
Shikale added that the town boundary ends 300 metres from the border with Angola, while the waterfall is situated in no man's land between the two countries.
“Anything you are planning to do in this area needs to be done in coordination with both countries because it affects natural resources on both sides. We are hoping that our negotiations will be positive,” she said.
Following heavy rain at Ruacana last year some of the steps collapsed, making the stairway hazardous. The Ruacana Constituency office reported the bad state of the stairway to the Omusati police and after assessing it, the police decided to restrict access because it was unsafe.
Months later, the police reopened the stairway after failing to get the responsible authority to repair the damage.
The Ruacana town council, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Omusati regional council and Nampower all refused to take responsibility.
Shikale appealed to people visiting the waterfall to respect the environment and refrain from littering and vandalism.
ILENI NANDJATO
The stairway was constructed in 1964 and is situated in the buffer zone between Namibia and Angola, making it difficult for any authority to accept responsibility for it.
Ruacana mayor Linea Shikale says they are in talks with the relevant authorities in Namibia and Angola regarding the ownership and maintenance of the stairway.
Shikale says the town is popular because of its famous waterfall and the council planned to cash in on its tourism potential.
“We are planning to develop the waterfall area and make it a recreational area. This place attracts a lot of people to our town, especially during the festive season. This is also in line with our strategic plan since we would like to promote our town through tourism,” Shikale said.
Shikale added that the town boundary ends 300 metres from the border with Angola, while the waterfall is situated in no man's land between the two countries.
“Anything you are planning to do in this area needs to be done in coordination with both countries because it affects natural resources on both sides. We are hoping that our negotiations will be positive,” she said.
Following heavy rain at Ruacana last year some of the steps collapsed, making the stairway hazardous. The Ruacana Constituency office reported the bad state of the stairway to the Omusati police and after assessing it, the police decided to restrict access because it was unsafe.
Months later, the police reopened the stairway after failing to get the responsible authority to repair the damage.
The Ruacana town council, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Omusati regional council and Nampower all refused to take responsibility.
Shikale appealed to people visiting the waterfall to respect the environment and refrain from littering and vandalism.
ILENI NANDJATO
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