Ohangwena Governor Calls for Increased Budget to Improve Rural Roads
The Governor of the Ohangwena Region, Honourable Kadiva Hamutumwa, has called for increased government funding to improve road infrastructure, saying better roads are important for the safety and development of rural communities.
Hamutumwa made the remarks during a courtesy visit by the Parliamentary Standing Committee. She said the Ohangwena Region has a combination of bitumen and gravel roads, with many rural communities still depending on gravel roads.
She explained that the construction of roads depends on the availability of funding from the central government and is implemented through the Roads Authority and the Roads Contractor Company (RCC).
The Governor stressed that more investment is needed to improve the road network, especially in rural areas where the majority of people live.
She said better roads would improve access to services and help reduce road accidents.
According to her, there is a need to continue upgrading gravel roads to bitumen standard where possible.
Hon. Hamutumwa also noted that because Ohangwena is largely a rural region, most roads do not have traffic lights. She said road safety discussions should also include better traffic management measures to improve the safety of all road users.
The Governor assured the committee that the Ohangwena Regional Council is ready to cooperate and provide all the necessary information during the public hearing.
She said the Regional Council’s Director would present detailed statistics on road accidents in the region, including the leading causes of accidents and recommendations to improve road safety.
She added that the recommendations would assist the National Council in carrying out its legislative and oversight responsibilities on road safety matters.
Hon. Hamutumwa thanked the committee for paying a courtesy call on the regional leadership and wished the members well in their oversight activities.
