Works and transport minister, John Mutorwa, has said that the Fonteintjie Fish farm project in Keetmanshoop has failed to take off, grabbing the attention of the Prime Minister who has tasked an investigation into it.
A daily newspaper reported three years ago that the fish farm is run by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources’ technician, Peter Simasiku, in collaboration with the //Karas Regional Council.
Mutorwa was speaking this week after a ministerial team compiled a report after investigations into various capital projects that have been completed, abandoned or are still underway.
“These projects have come under our attention even before the appointment of the teams to go to the regions. They have been with us. One of them has even reached the office of the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister has directed both myself and the minister of fisheries and marine resources to get the answers.
It is this project called Fonteintjie Fish farm in Keetmanshoop. It has a long history. You talk to the contractor you get this; you talk to the consultant you get this; you talk to the official, it is just in circles. And it is since 2015 and this year is 2020, this is five years and five years is the life of a government. We elect the government for five years.
Sometimes we think, those that are entrusted to do the work, whether it is the contractor or supervisors or ministry officials say so what. No, it is not so what. A capital project is not meant for an individual. When you talk about development in a country it is through capital projects from the government to the private sector. They are sources of employment. They are development projects.
You can just imagine how many people must depend on this project for employment, for income generation, for maintaining their families. So, when projects are not completed do not ever think it is the government that is being punished. Money was availed in these books. Debated long hours in parliament.
So, people, know that for our region we are expected to have these projects because that is what we said in parliament but when it comes to implementation a different route is taken. And obviously the credibility of the government is gone,” he said.
In the Zambezi region, the construction of a hostel for students at Luhonono has also stalled despite money being paid to the contractor, the minister said.
The project is in the community of about a thousand people on the banks of the Zambezi river.
The contract was signed on 4 August 2016.
The site hand over was done on the 11th of August 2016 to the contractor whose name the minister has not revealed.
The original contractual completion date was to be the 5th of December 2019 and the contract sum was placed at N$77 million, the minister said.
A resolution has been made to terminate the contract which the minister welcomed but said: “it is too late”.
Meanwhile, Mutorwa said the government will drag the contractors of abandoned projects to court to recover money lost but he could not say how much all in all has the state lost due to abandoned projects.
