Timber trucks destroy rural roads
Kavango farmers say overloaded timber trucks are destroying rural roads, thereby limiting access to their farms.
This was revealed on Monday during a stakeholder consultative meeting in Rundu, which was attended by transport minister John Mutorwa and Roads Authority (RA) CEO Conrad Lutombi.
The farmers told the minister they are fed up with timber trucks constantly moving into their villages, making it difficult for light vehicles to move freely, while also damaging access roads.
They said the perpetrators are operating day and night, collecting logs from farms in the two Kavango regions, which are later shipped out of the country.
The farmers are also angered by the fact that most of the destroyed roads were not constructed by government, but by community members, and the state does not assist with maintenance.
“Some of us have spent our resources on de-bushing, in order to have roads connecting us, and for us to drive on with our cars. However today these roads have been destroyed by those trucks, especially the ones carrying timber. We are the ones suffering at the end of the day,” one farmer said.
The farmers called on government to construct roads to their respective communities, arguing where there are roads, development is likely to take place.
Former Ndiyona constituency councillor Hildegard Mangundu pointed out government's failure to provide the Kavango people with adequate roads.
Mangundu revealed only three major inland roads have been constructed by government in the Kavango East Region over the past 29 years, and that various road master plans were discussed in the past, but none of them materialised.
She called on Mutorwa to look into the matter, saying it is not a coincidence that the Kavango regions are regarded as poor, as they do not have roads.
“There are no roads here, especially in the Ndiyona constituency. There are farmers and communities there. Think about us minister, when you are doing your budgets. When the roads are there development will be there,” Mangundu said.
Mutorwa said the ministry is looking at ways to address overloaded vehicles damaging national roads.
He strongly condemned illegal timber-harvesting activities taking place in various communities, and concurred with the farmers, saying the destruction of roads has a significant impact on people's livelihoods.
KENYA KAMBOWE
This was revealed on Monday during a stakeholder consultative meeting in Rundu, which was attended by transport minister John Mutorwa and Roads Authority (RA) CEO Conrad Lutombi.
The farmers told the minister they are fed up with timber trucks constantly moving into their villages, making it difficult for light vehicles to move freely, while also damaging access roads.
They said the perpetrators are operating day and night, collecting logs from farms in the two Kavango regions, which are later shipped out of the country.
The farmers are also angered by the fact that most of the destroyed roads were not constructed by government, but by community members, and the state does not assist with maintenance.
“Some of us have spent our resources on de-bushing, in order to have roads connecting us, and for us to drive on with our cars. However today these roads have been destroyed by those trucks, especially the ones carrying timber. We are the ones suffering at the end of the day,” one farmer said.
The farmers called on government to construct roads to their respective communities, arguing where there are roads, development is likely to take place.
Former Ndiyona constituency councillor Hildegard Mangundu pointed out government's failure to provide the Kavango people with adequate roads.
Mangundu revealed only three major inland roads have been constructed by government in the Kavango East Region over the past 29 years, and that various road master plans were discussed in the past, but none of them materialised.
She called on Mutorwa to look into the matter, saying it is not a coincidence that the Kavango regions are regarded as poor, as they do not have roads.
“There are no roads here, especially in the Ndiyona constituency. There are farmers and communities there. Think about us minister, when you are doing your budgets. When the roads are there development will be there,” Mangundu said.
Mutorwa said the ministry is looking at ways to address overloaded vehicles damaging national roads.
He strongly condemned illegal timber-harvesting activities taking place in various communities, and concurred with the farmers, saying the destruction of roads has a significant impact on people's livelihoods.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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