Business owners call for rethink of Monte Christo road upgrade design
Justicia Shipena
Business owners along Peter Nanyemba Road, formerly Monte Christo Road, are calling on the City of Windhoek to reconsider aspects of the current road upgrade design, which they say is crippling their operations.
The N$381 million road project, which broke ground in April 2023, is still under construction.
The construction work was expected to take 20 months to complete, but it has not met that deadline.
The upgrade aims to transform the 6.1-kilometre stretch into a dual carriageway with provisions for future rapid bus transit lanes to link the city to the Ongos Valley development.
However, several businesses, including small furniture workshops, vehicle paint technicians, and vendors, say the ongoing construction has led to a loss of customers, business closures, and job losses due to limited access and barricades along the road.
On Friday, a group of affected entrepreneurs met with Windhoek Mayor Ndeshihafela Larandja to voice their frustrations.
The delegation, represented by Timoteus Mashuna, Levi Upula, and Carlos David, said they were not consulted prior to the commencement of the project.
They argued that the current design, particularly the restricted access points, is hurting small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
According to Mashuna, the construction has resulted in significant business losses, with some enterprises closing down and employees losing their jobs.
They also highlighted a concern regarding the road design, which they say limits access to their businesses and nearby residential areas due to barricades.
The business owners further claimed that they were not consulted prior to the commencement of the project.
They have requested that the city reconsider aspects of the current road design to improve access to their premises.
In May of last year, businesses along the road also said the construction had disrupted their operations.
A business owner, Fillep Amukoto, who has been working as a vehicle painter in the area for five years, told local media that the construction work had blocked access to his workshop, deterring customers from entering the area.
The road upgrade is a key component of Ongos Valley Development, a mixed-use housing project located 8 kilometres from Windhoek’s city centre.
Upon completion, Ongos is expected to include 28,000 new homes along with schools, retailers, and businesses.
As part of the project, the developer is constructing a new road to link to the existing Peter Nanyemba Road.
Reinhard Boehmer, Chief Engineer for Roads and Stormwater at the City of Windhoek, said the road is classified as an arterial route.
The City of Windhoek said for safety reasons and in line with town planning requirements, access is only allowed at designated crossing points to manage high traffic volumes and protect pedestrians.
In response to the concerns, Mayor Larandja committed to a follow-up meeting that will bring together all stakeholders, including external partners working on the project, to conduct a comprehensive review of the issues raised.
The meeting will also serve to verify the claims about a lack of consultation.
