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04:11Last update on: 12 Aug 2013
The Namibian
Mon 12 Aug 2013
SMS Of The Day * MINISTRY of Gender and Child Welfare, TEARS are rolling down as I write this SMS. The killing of women in Namibia is now like reciting a poem. Are we really getting the protection we deserve while women not being treated as part of this c Food For Thought * SO the Zimbabwe elections were free and peaceful and not free and fair? Bouquets And Brickbats * NURSES at Katutura Hospital must stop wearing those big plastic sandals at work because they are not the official working shoes. We want to see you looking smart and beautiful with your full uniform. SMS Of The Day * THIS nation is in dire need of a massive conference on housing. When we experienced a crisis in the education sector a crisis-control brain-storming conference was organised which resulted in the best deal ever for the Namibian child, nam Food For Thought * BOURGEOISIE has become a daily occupation if not the order of the day of the upper-echelons, President Hifikepunye Pohamba we urge you to revisit this unpatriotic geocentricism among your staff and the well-connected, for everybody to r Bouquets And Brickbats * COMMISSIONER of Prisons, can you please explain the strategies you use to appoint officers to certain positions? It is my observation that you are being fed with wrong information then you just promote individuals without making p SMS Of The Day * I THINK Paulus ‘The Rock’ Ambunda lost his belt because of this promoter and trainer. How can a world champion still be training at the Katutura Youth Complex where there is not enough equipment. I think they must follow the example of Ha Food For Thought * NAMIBIA Dairies are unable to match low prices of imported milk and this ultimately means the consumer will have to pay more for local milk. Look at the prices of the local chicken. All these profits are going in the pockets of a few in Bouquets And Brickbats * I AM pleased to hear that Cabinet has responded positively to the proposal of Namibia Dairies to support the industry. The restrictions which support the industry by reducing competition to ensure the survival of the industry is a SMS Of The Day * CEO’s golden handshakes. Somewhere on our statute books there must be a provision that if a board of directors suspends/dismisses a CEO without due regard to legal provision (substantive/procedural law) such board must carry the costs for Food For Thought * JACKY Asheeke was so right with her last column- why are the fathers of the dead children not being prosecuted? (Reference to the children who died in shack fires last week) Our justice system still protects men over women. In this cont Bouquets And Brickbats * ALEXACTUS Kaure, your column in Friday’s newspaper opened my eyes. One hardly finds impartial case study analysers in Namibia. Let’s not destroy the Polytechnic’s strong foundation (Tjivikua) as yet. At least wait until the transf
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BUSINESS - CONSUMER
| 2013-08-08
Road repairs frustrate drivers
Rukee Kaakunga
The Windhoek-Rehoboth stretch of the B1 highway has added more worries to the hordes of commuters using it daily and those who make use of this vital link between Namibia’s capital city and the country’s biggest source of imported goods, South Africa.
Road works, being done on it since last year, agitate a number of readers. One sent this complaint to The Namibian Consumer:
“I would like to personally thank the Roads Authority for the stone wash my car got on Saturday and Sunday, driving along the road to Rehoboth. To be precise, between the weighbridge and the Peralin Paints plant. The right hand side of the road had been resurfaced and they left all the stones lying in the road! The result of this is probably millions of dollars of damage to vehicles. This will end up costing car owners and insurance companies a lot of money.
“Of course, Roads Authority didn’t take any responsibility and quite happily pushed the blame to Element Consulting, who are apparently responsible for their road works supervision there. So a big thank you to both Roads Authority and Element Consulting for contributing so positively to the economy.”
Upon investigation, a number of other people, including one who commutes daily between Windhoek and Rehoboth corroborated these claims, saying that his car has also been damaged as a result of the road works.
After weeks of attempting to get a comment from the Roads Authority (RA) on the matter, Manager of Corporate Communications, Hileni Fillemon said that the RA is not liable for any damages that may arise due to the repairs.
“The Roads Authority requires its contractors to take out indemnity cover for the period they work on a road to cover any accidents or damage that might occur to members of the public. The claim is thus put through to the contractor’s insurer for assessment. The liability is therefore not that of the Roads Authority”, she said.
Tiaan Badenhorst from the constructing company confirmed that his company does carry an insurance cover for any damages done due to neglect on the part of the contractor.
“In the case of Kalknaute to Aris, the “stripping” as is referred to in the industry was however not due to the contractor’s neglect. The section of road, Kalknaute to Aris, had a very uneven texture and surface and since we do not do any designs on the road, but only execute the design as received from the client’s consulting engineer”, he said. The consulting engineer had not responded to queries by the time of going to print.
Meanwhile, Fillemon advised all aggrieved drivers to submit any legitimate claims to the contractor who can be contacted via email at Taupele.admin@iway.na.
She further reminded the public that the repairs to the B1 Road between Windhoek and Rehoboth will continue until the end of August this year.
“All motorists are humbly requested to be cautious, as there will be severe dust conditions and limited sight distance. Please adhere to the traffic signs and reduce your speed when travelling on the sections where remedial works are currently underway”, she said.
Road works, being done on it since last year, agitate a number of readers. One sent this complaint to The Namibian Consumer:
“I would like to personally thank the Roads Authority for the stone wash my car got on Saturday and Sunday, driving along the road to Rehoboth. To be precise, between the weighbridge and the Peralin Paints plant. The right hand side of the road had been resurfaced and they left all the stones lying in the road! The result of this is probably millions of dollars of damage to vehicles. This will end up costing car owners and insurance companies a lot of money.
“Of course, Roads Authority didn’t take any responsibility and quite happily pushed the blame to Element Consulting, who are apparently responsible for their road works supervision there. So a big thank you to both Roads Authority and Element Consulting for contributing so positively to the economy.”
Upon investigation, a number of other people, including one who commutes daily between Windhoek and Rehoboth corroborated these claims, saying that his car has also been damaged as a result of the road works.
After weeks of attempting to get a comment from the Roads Authority (RA) on the matter, Manager of Corporate Communications, Hileni Fillemon said that the RA is not liable for any damages that may arise due to the repairs.
“The Roads Authority requires its contractors to take out indemnity cover for the period they work on a road to cover any accidents or damage that might occur to members of the public. The claim is thus put through to the contractor’s insurer for assessment. The liability is therefore not that of the Roads Authority”, she said.
Tiaan Badenhorst from the constructing company confirmed that his company does carry an insurance cover for any damages done due to neglect on the part of the contractor.
“In the case of Kalknaute to Aris, the “stripping” as is referred to in the industry was however not due to the contractor’s neglect. The section of road, Kalknaute to Aris, had a very uneven texture and surface and since we do not do any designs on the road, but only execute the design as received from the client’s consulting engineer”, he said. The consulting engineer had not responded to queries by the time of going to print.
Meanwhile, Fillemon advised all aggrieved drivers to submit any legitimate claims to the contractor who can be contacted via email at Taupele.admin@iway.na.
She further reminded the public that the repairs to the B1 Road between Windhoek and Rehoboth will continue until the end of August this year.
“All motorists are humbly requested to be cautious, as there will be severe dust conditions and limited sight distance. Please adhere to the traffic signs and reduce your speed when travelling on the sections where remedial works are currently underway”, she said.
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Windhoek
7°
24°
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Walvis Bay
8°
22°
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Oshakati
8°
31°
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Keetmanshoop
1°
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Grootfontein
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5°
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(August 12)
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