Long-awaited 20km Mbeyo–Erago road project underwa

By: Staff Reporter

Works and Transport Minister Veikko Nekundi on Monday officiated the groundbreaking of the long-awaited upgrade of the 20.45 km Mbeyo–Erago road in the Kavango West Region.

The upgrade from sandy to gravel brings renewed hope to the five villages of Sihetekera, Senseni, Mutungalika, Kamuti and Erago, which have for years relied on an impassable sandy track that routinely cut off access to essential services.

Nekundi said the old road has long crippled movement, isolating communities from clinics, schools and markets, and turning into a muddy barrier every rainy season.

The upgraded road, reinforced with soil stabilisers, is expected to ensure reliable, year-round access.

He said about 80 jobs will be created during construction and issued strict instructions to contractors to treat workers with dignity paying fair wages, providing PPE, registering all employees with the Social Security Commission and ensuring safety on site.

“We build roads, but not on the backs of exploited workers,” Nekundi warned.

The minister added that the improved road will enable expecting mothers and patients to reach the Erago Clinic safely, ease schoolchildren’s travel, and help farmers transport produce more efficiently, boosting local economic activity.

The government has also committed funds for other key projects in the region, including the Nkurenkuru–Nepara Clinic Road, the Ndiyona–Djaradjara road and the Divundu–Muhembo Border Post upgrade.

Roads Authority regional engineering manager Kennedy Chigumira used the event to call for urgent investment in rural gravel roads nationwide, saying deteriorating infrastructure continues to isolate communities and hinder access to services.

He highlighted priority routes such as the Charlie Cutline and Ncaute–Karukwisa, and urged motorists to stop overloading, speeding and vandalising road signs, stressing that communities must help protect public infrastructure.