Road Costing Government N$29 Million, Constructed Using “Siguru” in Kavango East
By TUW
The Governor of the Kavango East Region, Hamunyera Hambyuka, has raised serious concerns over the quality of materials being used in the construction of the Ndiyona–Djaradjara road in the Ndiyona Constituency.
The project, which is being implemented by Chinese construction firm Chico Construction, commenced in November 2024 and is scheduled for completion within ten months. It follows the termination of a previous contract after the contractor failed to meet required standards, managing to complete only four kilometres in seven months.
During a recent inspection of the road works, Governor Hambyuka expressed dissatisfaction with the material applied on the road surface, describing it as “siguru” and warning that it poses a serious safety risk to road users.
Siguru is a naturally occurring mud clay-rich soil traditionally used in Namibia for building such as house room walls etc. It is mixed with water and applied like cement, but it is not very strong and loses stabilization.
He cautioned that the material could become extremely slippery during rainy conditions, increasing the likelihood of accidents and possible loss of life. The governor questioned the decision to use such material and urged the contractors to replace it with safer and more suitable alternatives in the interest of public safety.
In response, Kavango East Roads Authority (RA) engineer, Kennedy Chigumira, explained that while the material currently in use may not meet the standards of a full gravel or tarred road, it is an improvement compared to what was previously applied.
Chigumira noted that limited funding has constrained the scope of the project. He said the current works fall under a Roving Bitumen Unit (RBU) approach, which primarily focuses on opening, clearing and forming the road using available materials to improve accessibility.
He further explained that, due to budget limitations, the Roads Authority opted to add a single gravel layer to stabilize the road temporarily, allowing vehicles to pass safely while efforts continue to secure additional funding for a fully developed gravel road in the future.
The Ndiyona–Djaradjara road forms part of a larger route that passes through Kandjara, Dcude, Cwiba, Khaudum and Shikerete, eventually linking with the Tsumkwe road. The entire stretch spans approximately 200 kilometres across the Kavango East and Otjozondjupa regions.
The project is funded by the government through the Road Fund Administration at an estimated cost of N$29 million. Chico Construction is expected to complete 31 kilometres of the road within six months.
