The Minister of Works and Transport, Veikko Nekundi, has visited the construction site of Bukalo-Muyako Road to establish the causes of the project's delay.
Frustrations are mounting on the delays of a 10-kilometer Bukalo-Muyako road.
Nekundi said in June this year, he suggested the cancellation of the contract for another, as the ministry has no power to terminate it.
“I must inform you that, as the Roads Authority and the government, this project was awarded to the contractor not by the Roads Authority or the Ministry of Works and Transport, but by the Central Procurement Board, which falls under the Ministry of Finance. As such, we are unable to terminate the contract. Only that agency has the authority to terminate it.”
The road was initially set to be completed by the 25th of September; however, the contractor now promised to complete it in November this year.
Following those engagements, a revised work schedule was agreed upon to ensure that the project is completed.
A community member, Raymon Matiti, expressed his grievances on the delays.
“This company that you have left today has left me very, very disappointed because I thought that when you came here, you would tell me that you had fired them. The company was awarded this bid in 2025, and we are now towards the end of 2026. People here are still suffering. May I ask you to call the Namibian Central Procurement Board so that we can talk to them? Who told them to forgive someone who is failing to deliver? If you are the owner of the company, comrade, you are failing.”
He also questioned the contract awarded to the company.
“So, in terms of the contract signed between the Procurement Board and the company, it states that the contract can only be terminated if 90 days have passed after the due date. Remember, the contract is due to end on 25 September, and they are currently 54 days behind schedule. Therefore, in terms of the contract, it can only be terminated if they reach 90 days after 25 September. That means if you try to terminate the contract before then, they could take the government to court, and the government is likely to lose the case.”