Windhoek’s Heroes’ Acre running up unheroic costs

THE running costs of Heroes’ Acre outside Windhoek far outstrip the revenue from visitors to the monument, the latest report of the National Heritage Council (NHC) reveals.

The report said that the upkeep of Heroes’ Acre costs the taxpayer N$500 000 a year, whereas it attracted only 7 533 visitors a year and entrance fees amounted to just N$64 188. The annual NHC report for the year ending March 31 2006 has just been tabled in the National Assembly.It said major construction defects also troubled the site, waiting for repairs by the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication.”The municipal costs of Heroes’ Acre continue to be very high and the NHC could not afford to pay these expenses of over N$20 000 per month,” the Council’s report stated.”We had an outstanding municipal account of over N$200 000 at the end of this financial year and the matter has been referred to the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture for a political decision.”The Ministry had in fact offered to pay the outstanding amount to the Windhoek municipality in the meantime, The Namibian has learnt.Seven staff members are employed at the site and their salaries are paid by the NHC, which adds to the financial plight of the organisation.In the report, the director of the NHC, Mutani Aribeb, identified various “construction flaws” at the Heroes’ Acre, which was built by a construction team from North Korea.These include improperly designed drainage systems which result in water damming up on the tiled surfaces instead of draining away, improper sealing of the tile work which results in water seeping through and causing damage, burst water pipes and unsuitable material used for the pipes.Aribeb pointed out that brass pipes were used instead of plastic pipes, which were more suitable for Namibia’s climate.Aribeb further cited leaking roofs and “improper compaction of certain areas at the monument resulting in settling of those sections, causing some areas to be lower”.One of several cost-saving measures proposed by the NHC to its board is to reduce the illumination of the site after 22h00 to reduce electricity consumption and to reduce the lawn area to save on water consumption.The annual NHC report for the year ending March 31 2006 has just been tabled in the National Assembly.It said major construction defects also troubled the site, waiting for repairs by the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication.”The municipal costs of Heroes’ Acre continue to be very high and the NHC could not afford to pay these expenses of over N$20 000 per month,” the Council’s report stated.”We had an outstanding municipal account of over N$200 000 at the end of this financial year and the matter has been referred to the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture for a political decision.”The Ministry had in fact offered to pay the outstanding amount to the Windhoek municipality in the meantime, The Namibian has learnt.Seven staff members are employed at the site and their salaries are paid by the NHC, which adds to the financial plight of the organisation.In the report, the director of the NHC, Mutani Aribeb, identified various “construction flaws” at the Heroes’ Acre, which was built by a construction team from North Korea.These include improperly designed drainage systems which result in water damming up on the tiled surfaces instead of draining away, improper sealing of the tile work which results in water seeping through and causing damage, burst water pipes and unsuitable material used for the pipes.Aribeb pointed out that brass pipes were used instead of plastic pipes, which were more suitable for Namibia’s climate.Aribeb further cited leaking roofs and “improper compaction of certain areas at the monument resulting in settling of those sections, causing some areas to be lower”.One of several cost-saving measures proposed by the NHC to its board is to reduce the illumination of the site after 22h00 to reduce electricity consumption and to reduce the lawn area to save on water consumption.