RP raps budget planning for Katutura Stadium

THE Republican Party has slammed a Windhoek City Council decision to allocate another N$22 million during the 2004-05 financial year for the building of the Katutura Soccer Stadium.

At the monthly council meeting on Wednesday night, Councillor Nico Smit accused the city of poor planning. Last year N$36 million was budgeted for the project.Smit said it was unacceptable that the city had accepted the consultants proposal for this amount when it did not include major facilities such as floodlights, all-round seating and a loud speaker system.The additional funding will be used to build the additions for which the consultants have billed the city another N$1,8 million.”It is unacceptable.Where will it all end? Where will this money come from?” Smit asked.He said that by the time it was completed, the stadium would way have exceeded its original budget.He said the city was at fault for accepting the shortcomings of the original proposal.Chairman of the Management Committee Bjorn von Finckenstein defended the city’s decision.He said unforeseen circumstances had contributed to the original budget shooting up.He said it had not been possible to assess the soil conditions before construction and that additional work had needed to be done in this regard.In addition, a number of access roads had had to be changed.Von Finckenstein claimed that the city had originally decided to forego certain facilities such as the floodlights, because they were too expensive.In retrospect, he said it would be “silly” for the city to undertake a project of this magnitude and not build it to international specifications.The stadium with a capacity of 8000 is slated for completion by the end of the year.Last year N$36 million was budgeted for the project.Smit said it was unacceptable that the city had accepted the consultants proposal for this amount when it did not include major facilities such as floodlights, all-round seating and a loud speaker system.The additional funding will be used to build the additions for which the consultants have billed the city another N$1,8 million.”It is unacceptable.Where will it all end? Where will this money come from?” Smit asked.He said that by the time it was completed, the stadium would way have exceeded its original budget.He said the city was at fault for accepting the shortcomings of the original proposal.Chairman of the Management Committee Bjorn von Finckenstein defended the city’s decision.He said unforeseen circumstances had contributed to the original budget shooting up.He said it had not been possible to assess the soil conditions before construction and that additional work had needed to be done in this regard.In addition, a number of access roads had had to be changed.Von Finckenstein claimed that the city had originally decided to forego certain facilities such as the floodlights, because they were too expensive.In retrospect, he said it would be “silly” for the city to undertake a project of this magnitude and not build it to international specifications.The stadium with a capacity of 8000 is slated for completion by the end of the year.