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Background

Ovitoto is a small village situated approximately 50 km east of Okahandja. This village has a got a small population as it is not a big village. It is surrounded by lot of mountains and rivers. Although it has got beatufil physical features,during the rainy seasons the rivers become a threat of death to the lives of the habitants around the area. This rivers become so full that people have to overnight around the rivers waiting for the water level to decrease. If people try to take chances of trying to cross these rivers than they are flooded away and never return not even the bodies could be found. Alot of people has lost their loved ones in these rivers that they didnt even burry as their bodies could not be found. It became a concern to the residents of Ovitoto and decided to join hands, stood up and went to knock at the government doors to assist the area with bridges to reduce loss of lives during rainy seasons, for many years they waited for the government to help them and at last this year their concern was heard.The government decided to develop the ovitoto area by building bridges across the 3 rivers that will cost the government 60 million dollars.

Groundbreaking 60 million Ovitoto bridges project

(by ADMIN on Sep 20, 2012 • 13:28)

The Contruction Project

The construction project of the Ovitoto bridges in the Otjozondjupa region was officially inaugurated on Tuesday at the informal settlement Ovitoto in the district of Okahandja. Lot of residents were present at the inauguration and expressed their appreciation and happiness. The bridges will be con¬structed at the Bobbejaan, Niehaus and Swakop Rivers, respectively. At the same event the second phase of the Ovitoto development Committee’s road infrastructure improved programme was launched. The bridges project will employ approximately 150 people from in and around the Otjozondjupa region .The Project will cost 60 million Namibian dollars. The project was spearheaded by the Ovitoto community members as the rivers close to the settlements posed danger to the motorists travelling between Ovitoto and Okahandja. During rainy seasons the rivers flooded the roads that made it difficult for the residents from the villages around that area to travel to Okahandja for essential services such as health and education facilities.

The Ministry of works

Minister of Information Technology Joel Kaapanda , who spoke on behalf of Works and Transport Minister Errki Nghimtina, said the intention of the Government was to continue striving to develop major road infrastructure to attract meaningful investment. “I further urge you to exercise a sense of ownership towards this infrastructure once completed,” he said. The contractor company for the project is the Roads Contractor Company (RCC) and Element Consulting Engineering will be the consulting engineers

NBC news on Ovitoto roads

NBC news reported on the news of 29 September 2012 on the Company - RCC - will immediately start constructing bridges over three rivers along the Okahandja-Ovitoto gravel road.

The bridges will be built over the Bobbejaan, Niehaus and Swakop rivers in a 63-million dollar project.

In a speech read on his behalf, Works and Transport Minister, Erkki Nghimtina, emphasised the importance of such bridges to the development of the area.

The bridges will ease the movement of residents, investors, businesses and tourists around the Ovitoto communal area.

He believes that the bridges will improve accessibility and reduce the threat of the community being cut off from essential services by floods.

Nghimtina said the completion of the project would increase public transport for the benefit of the majority, increase agricultural trade, access to outside markets and promotion of alternative economic activities.

Established in 1924, the Ovitoto settlement lies 45 kilometres east of Okahandja in the Otjozondjupa region.

see also

• NBC news
• The Namibian
• New Era