During the recent strategic planning workshop of the Ministry of Works and Transport, the minister, Hon Veikko Nekundi said the government needs a policy reform to maintain its public infrastructure.
According to Nekundi, having a preventative maintenance policy is a cost-effective approach to take care of public infrastructure.
"We don't have a preventative maintenance policy in place. How can we as a government have such big infrastructure, yet we don't have a maintenance plan or policy? We must have it."
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"The maintenance department waits until things are falling apart and after they fall apart, we still wait for another six years. It is better and cheaper to do preventative maintenance than to wait until things fall apart," he said.
The minister also criticized the current practice where the government pays contractors and approves substandard work.
"In Windhoek there is a building where substandard work was done. I have the pictures with me. Ceilings are falling apart and the contractor just painted over the rotten materials and you as [the] maintenance [division] pay that contractor."
"You believe that it is correct and that you are delivering public service. You are aware about this, but you are persisting to pay this contractor and yet you see nothing wrong. Your attitude must change," said Nekundi.
The workshop was attended by senior officials from the ministry along with management of relevant state-owned enterprises to formulate the 2025/2026 to 2030/2031 strategic plan, 2025/2026 annual plan and individual performance agreements.
The country's economy and public services like health and education are hampered when the works and transport ministry is not functioning effectively, charged the minister while calling on those in attendance to have robust discussions to address all shortcomings.
The ministry's Executive Director, Titus Ndove said that the ministry's regulations and laws need to be amended to ensure that the government delivers on its mandate.
"Strategy is at the centre of what we do and the resultant of that will reflect in our success. Without proper planning one cannot expect to succeed," said Ndove.
The final drafts of the strategic plan and annual plan will be formulated after the workshop.
Attendees of the recent Strategic Planning Workshop at Swakopmund. (Photograph by Adolf Kaure)
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