Gammams crossing is not safe

THE Windhoek Municipality has advised the Khomasdal community to avoid crossing the Arebbusch River when it is in flood, until a permanent pedestrian crossing can be built.

Teachers and parents are being encouraged to tell children to use the crossing along Florence Nightingale road instead. Last week, frightened school children lost their shoes and other belongings when they tried to cross the river using a temporary structure built after the January floods washed away the Gammams bridge.The city says a new bridge would cost half a million dollars and it would have to budget and put out a tender for the construction.”The City is cognisant of the need to construct a much stronger bridge that can withstand the pressure of the floods,” said a statement issued by the City’s Public Relations Officer, Liz Sibindi.The municipality acknowledged that the temporary crossing for pedestrians is not safe to use when the river is in flood.At last month’s city council meeting, CoD councillor Herbert Schulz raised the community’s concerns about the dangers the river posed during the rainy season.But Deputy Mayor Elaine Trepper said there were no funds available to build another bridge immediately, and that it might only be done next year.Last week, frightened school children lost their shoes and other belongings when they tried to cross the river using a temporary structure built after the January floods washed away the Gammams bridge.The city says a new bridge would cost half a million dollars and it would have to budget and put out a tender for the construction.”The City is cognisant of the need to construct a much stronger bridge that can withstand the pressure of the floods,” said a statement issued by the City’s Public Relations Officer, Liz Sibindi.The municipality acknowledged that the temporary crossing for pedestrians is not safe to use when the river is in flood.At last month’s city council meeting, CoD councillor Herbert Schulz raised the community’s concerns about the dangers the river posed during the rainy season.But Deputy Mayor Elaine Trepper said there were no funds available to build another bridge immediately, and that it might only be done next year.