Chamwe Kaira
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says work to upgrade and maintain railway infrastructure across Namibia is ongoing, alongside efforts to build skills in the transport sector.
She told lawmakers on Wednesday that 98 young people have been trained in railway maintenance as part of efforts to improve the country’s rail system.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said procurement is underway for key projects, including the Trans-Zambezi railway and the Ondangwa–Oshakati Northern railway extension phase three.
The Trans-Kalahari Railway is at the feasibility study stage.
The government has also added capacity in the sector.
According to her, a total of 137 new recruits and 57 interns in engineering, quantity surveying and meteorology have joined the Ministry of Works and Transport.
Earlier this year, the attorney general finalised a draft agreement for a transaction advisor to support the public-private partnership development of the Trans-Zambezi railway extension between Namibia and Zambia. The draft was submitted to the African Development Bank.
Minister of works and transport Veikko Nekundi said the government has secured a transaction advisor and finalised the method of engagement.
He said earlier studies assessed the project’s economic impact, including job creation, trade and social benefits.
He said the success of the project depends on regional cooperation.
A Namibia-only project shows a viability rate of 6%. A joint project with Zambia increases this to 7%, while including Botswana raises it to 9%.
Despite the differences, all scenarios show that the project is viable.
The proposed Trans-Zambezi railway extension will run about 760 to 772 kilometres. It will link Grootfontein to Katima Mulilo and continue through Ngoma to Kasane, with connections to Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The railway is expected to connect mining areas to the Walvis Bay–Ndola–Lubumbashi corridor. This will support the transport of minerals from the Copperbelt region to the port of Walvis Bay.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said the government has also started a feasibility study to assess the long-term expansion of the railway network across the Southern African Development Community.
The project aims to attract more freight to Walvis Bay, especially from Zambia, Zimbabwe, southern DRC and Angola and strengthen Namibia’s role as a regional logistics hub.
