Gurirab urges end to coastal ‘border war’

SWAKOPMUND and Walvis Bay should “drop the border war” and get together as smart partners, Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab said on Friday.

The Premier, who met with the Mayors and Councillors from the coastal towns last week, said development at the coast was crucial. He called the Erongo Region the engine of growth and development for the country.At the meeting with Walvis Bay Councillors earlier in the week, he said he envisaged one big city stretching all the way from Walvis Bay to Henties Bay in about 20 years.He encouraged leaders of the two towns to get together and plan this development.At the Swakopmund meeting on Friday he said he was aware of differences between the two Councils.When a Councillor raised the issue of Swakopmund extending its jurisdiction to the south of the Swakop River, he asked them to stop the “border war”.The Swakopmund Council has for years tried to get land from Walvis Bay without success.The Walvis Bay Municipality’s jurisdiction runs from the harbour town all the way to the south bank of the Swakop River.Turning to another war, Gurirab said the fight against crime was crucial to ensure further development in the region.”The challenge to us is to assure prospective investors that we are good business partners.Crime is the enemy of stability and progress, and divided communities.It also gives an ugly face of us and the country to the outside world.All of us must fight crime”.One issue the two Councils agree on is the future of the Swakopmund-Walvis Bay road and the possibility of a new bypass road behind the dunes.The issue was raised by both Councils for the Prime Minister’s urgent attention.Consultants concluded a study about three years ago, which said that building a new road behind the dunes to Walvis would not be viable.Since then there has been little progress on planning how to handle increasing road traffic along the coast.Over peak holiday periods congestion is a major problem.It can take up to one hour to travel about 15 km.He called the Erongo Region the engine of growth and development for the country. At the meeting with Walvis Bay Councillors earlier in the week, he said he envisaged one big city stretching all the way from Walvis Bay to Henties Bay in about 20 years. He encouraged leaders of the two towns to get together and plan this development. At the Swakopmund meeting on Friday he said he was aware of differences between the two Councils. When a Councillor raised the issue of Swakopmund extending its jurisdiction to the south of the Swakop River, he asked them to stop the “border war”. The Swakopmund Council has for years tried to get land from Walvis Bay without success. The Walvis Bay Municipality’s jurisdiction runs from the harbour town all the way to the south bank of the Swakop River. Turning to another war, Gurirab said the fight against crime was crucial to ensure further development in the region. “The challenge to us is to assure prospective investors that we are good business partners. Crime is the enemy of stability and progress, and divided communities. It also gives an ugly face of us and the country to the outside world. All of us must fight crime”. One issue the two Councils agree on is the future of the Swakopmund-Walvis Bay road and the possibility of a new bypass road behind the dunes. The issue was raised by both Councils for the Prime Minister’s urgent attention. Consultants concluded a study about three years ago, which said that building a new road behind the dunes to Walvis would not be viable. Since then there has been little progress on planning how to handle increasing road traffic along the coast. Over peak holiday periods congestion is a major problem. It can take up to one hour to travel about 15 km.