Minister labels Kongola–Katima road a disaster - nbc

The Kongola-Katima Mulilo Road has been described as a "disaster" by the Minister of Works and Transport, Veiko Nekunda, indicating that the portion of the road damaged by heavy rains needs urgent rehabilitation.

Veiko Nekundi said a 20-kilometre portion of the road towards Katima Mulilo is in unacceptable condition and requires a complete overhaul.

The minister said the road is a critical economic corridor, carrying heavy volumes of cargo trucks, tourists, and community members travelling between Zambezi, Kavango East, and the inland regions.

"We cannot afford, as a responsible government that we are, to have a road in a state as it is; therefore, the roads authority is under strict and close monitoring instructions to ensure that the road is upgraded with the utmost urgency. I have also given instructions to our ED of works and transport to ensure they coordinate with works and transport to ensure that the road is properly upgraded."

Nekundi also raised concerns over inconsistencies between border operating hours and weighbridge operations.

He noted that while border posts to Zambia and parts of Botswana operate 24 hours, weighbridges do not.

During inspections, the minister said two trucks travelling from Walvis Bay to Zambia were found to have bypassed weighbridges due to limited operating hours, raising concerns about overloading and its contribution to road damage.

"The Roads Authority, which is responsible for mending and managing the weighbridges, has been given serious instructions to ensure that the weighbridges operate on a 24-hour basis."

Nekundi was on a site visit for ongoing road projects in the region, including the Bukalo-Muyako road, the Namalubi-Kalumba road, the Machita-Zilitene road, the Sibbinda road and the Makanga-Masida road.

He asked that the projects be fast-tracked to completion, as many of them have gone over the estimated date of completion with less than 40% progress.

He further advised that the required officials approve the needed paperwork to upgrade the stretch from a gravel standard, following the government's new policy that requires doing away with gravel roads.

Finally, he called for the urgent installation of culverts over affected roads.

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