The Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises says the Zambezi Waterfront Tourism Park will reach its full economic potential once it is transferred to Namibia Wildlife Resorts.
The park has been a white elephant since it closed its doors in 2016, following allegations of maladministration.
The government has spent about N$124 million on the project, and additional millions have been spent on maintenance and operations.
Finance ministry spokesperson Wilson Shikoto on Thursday said the ministry is busy sorting out the transfer of 25ha of land from the Katima Mulilo Town Council to the Zambezi Waterfront Tourism Park (ZWTP).
He said once this is completed, the tourism park would be transferred to Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) to manage it.
“The transfer process is close to finalisation. Once this process has been finalised, ZWTP assets and property will be transferred to NWR as per the Cabinet decision.
“We are confident that the management of NWR will be able to address the challenges and issues faced by the ZWTP.
Therefore, the nation can rest assured that ZWTP will be revived to benefit the economic upliftment of the Zambezi region,” he said.
The Office of the Ombudsman in February recommended that the multimillion-dollar park be dissolved with immediate effect.
Additionally, the ombudsman recommended that the entire park’s assets be transferred to the Zambezi Vocational Training Centre, since it already runs a successful hospitality business.
These recommendations were contained in a report, following an investigation done by the ombudsman into the alleged mismanagement of the ZWTP.
In 2022, Zambezi regional governor Lawrence Sampofu requested the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct preliminary investigations into allegations of fund misuse that occurred during the park’s construction.
Meanwhile, photos seen by The Namibian shows building materials that were meant to be used during the construction of the ZWTP stored away.
Shikoto did not reveal the cost of the building materials which have gone to waste.
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