Africa-Press – Namibia. Dalene Kooper
KEETMANSHOOP – Control Administrative Officer at the Aremsvlei settlement, Vennet Mulatehi, says recent road closures caused by heavy rainfall have strained local farmers in transporting their goods to bigger towns.
“Economically things are cut; farmers have a hard time accessing towns to sell their produce, the costs for alternative roads are quite high,” Mulatehi said. He said some Aremsvlei residents commute to Karasburg for work, and the alternative routes provided by the Roads Authority (RA) take hours to reach their destination and come with an additional financial burden on already strained resources.
“Those roads are quite long for residents to reach their jobs in time,” the administrator lamented. Additionally, Karasburg East constituency councillor James Hawanga urged residents to remain vigilant when travelling, particularly on gravel roads.
“I urge residents to always try to get information about the roads ahead of travelling; they should be vigilant and inform relevant authorities of any road damage,” Hawanga said.
He advised motorists to always seek updated information about the condition of roads before embarking on their journeys.
Hawanga further called on the public to report any damaged roads, whether partially or completely deteriorated, to the constituency office.
He added that the roads are not the only challenge for locals but also drainage systems for rainwater in Aremsvlei.
“The usual challenge we are facing is the flow of rainwater. There is no proper drainage system for rainwater to flow in specific directions, and this causes problems for the Aremsvlei residents,” the councillor said.
Meanwhile, RA announced that several roads in the region sustained significant damage due to heavy rainfall and flooding. Travellers have been advised to use alternative routes and remain cautious on the road while RA is assessing the affected areas.
“The public is advised to avoid flooded roads, adhere to road closure signage and stay informed through RA communication channels,” the notice read. –[email protected]
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