The government’s estimated N$70 million cost for constructing two pedestrian bridges along Windhoek’s Western Bypass has come under scrutiny, with questions raised over the N$35 million price tag for each bridge and whether the project represents value for money.
Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) Member of Parliament Nelson Kalangula has demanded that the Ministry of Works and Transport provide a detailed breakdown of the projected costs and explain how the estimates compare with similar pedestrian bridges already constructed in Windhoek.
Raising the matter in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Kalangula questioned the basis of the N$70 million estimate and called for greater transparency in the project’s procurement and implementation.
“The announcement that the government intends to construct two pedestrian bridges along Windhoek’s Western Bypass, at an estimated cost of N$35 million per bridge, has caused public concern and raised questions about the responsible use of public funds,” he said.
Kalangula wants the ministry to disclose the estimated expenditure on construction materials, labour, environmental assessments, consulting and engineering fees, and design.
He also questioned why each bridge was expected to cost N$35 million when similar pedestrian infrastructure had already been constructed in the capital.
“How does the ministry justify the estimated cost of N$35 million for a single pedestrian overpass compared with the actual construction costs of comparable existing infrastructure, such as the pedestrian bridge near China Town?” he asked.
Kalangula further demanded clarity on measures the ministry would implement to prevent cost overruns, construction delays and contract variations that could increase the project’s final cost.
He also challenged the government’s decision to prioritise the N$70 million project amid competing demands for public funding, including rural road maintenance, healthcare, housing and education.
“Given Namibia’s limited fiscal space and pressing developmental challenges, including rural road maintenance backlogs, medicine shortages, housing shortages and inadequate educational infrastructure, how does the ministry justify ranking the N$70 million pedestrian bridge project as a national priority?” Kalangula asked.
The scrutiny comes after Works and Transport Minister Veikko Nekundi told the National Assembly last week that designs for the two pedestrian bridges had been approved and construction was expected to begin in November.
Nekundi said contractors were expected to be on site soon and indicated that the government was considering constructing additional pedestrian bridges along the Western Bypass in the next financial year.
These could include three to four bridges near the Windhoek Country Club Resort, although no cost estimates have been disclosed for the proposed additional infrastructure.
