Ondangwa vet lab still incomplete

Ondangwa vet lab still incomplete Mathias Nanghanda – The construction of the Ondangwa veterinary clinic and laboratory, which is abandoned since its initial construction in 2014, will resume if further funding is made available during the 2021/22 financial year.

“This facility, among others, would speed up the testing activities of samples currently sent to the central veterinary laboratory in Windhoek in order to speedily diagnose animal diseases,” the deputy director for public relations in the ministry of agriculture, water and land reform (MAWLR), Chrispin Matongela, said.

The clinic is allocated a plot at Extension 8 in Ondangwa Town, following the government’s understanding of the need to have the veterinary clinic and laboratory to serve the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs).

CONTRACTOR

Without naming the first construction company, Matongela said Cango Construction CC is the second company to be awarded the tender.

He explained the first contract was terminated as the contractor was “from time to time hardly on site”.

Matongela said: “Failure to be on site by the contractor was one of the conditions in the contract that could result in termination.”

He went on to say the matter is being attended to by the ministry of works and transport to ensure completion of the project, depending on the availability of funds during the coming financial year.

The MAWLR admitted that more than N$12.3 million was paid to date for the work done, including penalty fees that were incurred.

The project is estimated to cost some N$67 million. - Nampa