Steps at Ruacana too risky

Steps at Ruacana too riskyDamaged by heavy rain last year The police have closed the stairway leading to the bottom of the Ruacana waterfall, which have been damaged by rain. Heavy rain at Ruacana has damaged the steps that lead to the bottom of the waterfall.

The police have closed the stairway, which consists of about 400 steps, until the damage can be repaired, but nobody seems to know who is responsible for maintaining it.

The Omusati police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Linekela Shikongo, told Namibian Sun that the regional councillor for the Ruacana Constituency reported the bad state of the stairway and after assessing it, the police decided to suspend access because it was unsafe.

“Steps are collapsing and this is a serious safety hazard. No injuries have been reported yet, but we do not want that to happen before we take a decision. For now we have suspended access to the stairway until further notice,” Shikongo said.

He said the waterfall attracts many visitors during the holiday season, but they all complied with the police instructions. Shikongo also applauded the councillor's office for promptly informing them about the hazard.

Constituency councillor Andreas Shintama said the stairway was damaged by rain last year. He said his office was exploring all avenues to find out who was responsible for maintenance at the falls.

“We do not know under whose care that place is. It is a public place, but someone, somewhere must be responsible for it,” Shintama said.

Shintama could not estimate the extent of the damage or how long the steps would remain closed, but said as the rain continued, the damage was worsening.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Romeo Muyunda, said the area falls under the Omusati Regional Council, but Shintama disagreed.

“Plans are under way for the Omusati Regional Council to take control of the area. Currently, it is just a public place,” Shintama said.

The Ruacana waterfall is situated on the Kunene River on the border with Angola. The waterfall is 120 metres high.

Shikongo appealed to visitors to heed the police warnings for their own safety. He said people should not cross the police tape restricting access to the falls.

ILENI NANDJATO