Title: History of the Namibian Road Sector
Genre: Namibian History
Compiling Editor: Brenda Bravenboer
Editor: Cathrine Hoff
Contributors: Uwe Jäschke, Nils Bruzelius, Günter Seydack, Pete Plantema, Ben Boshoff, Justin Runji
Layout: Silke Kotze
Publisher: Roads Authority
Windhoek, Namibia 2011
ISBN 9789994571482 / ISBN 978-99945-71-48-2
Hardcover, 32 x 21 cm, 353 pages, countless maps, photographs and images
History of the Namibian Road Sector is the story of how footprints, paths and tracks evolved from the pre-colonial era and over time became gravel and bitumen roads which make up the Namibian road network of today. It tells of how the German, South African and Namibian legislation necessary to develop a road network politically impacted on the country over many decades. It relates the activities of the early road building fraternity and pioneer road builders, through the years of the great depression and two World Wars. The appointment of the Roads Construction Commission in 1950 and the establishment of in-house construction units, the mechanical section and materials laboratory; the acquisition of own plant and fleet; its personnel and how they went about their business and what was done to train young aspiring engineers and artisans is dealt with.
Other highlights were the establishment of the Roads Branch in 1953 followed by the Roads Department in 1980 which was also responsible for the construction and maintenance of airstrips and airports; the construction and maintenance of gravel and bituminous roads and the transformation of the Department of Transport into what is today the Roads Authority. It is also noteworthy that it has only been a mere 60 years since the first road in the country was bituminised. This ambitious road development programme outpaced the capacity of the Roads Branch and necessitated the involvement of consultants and contractors in this sector. History of the Namibian Road Sector briefly explains pure and applied engineering and the process of the birth of a road.
Furthermore the impact of the computer on the industry, the planning, preliminary studies, and financing, detail design, economic and environmental evaluation, the tender process, materials and their specifications and bitumen surfacing. Innovations, research and experiments, and major bridges are also covered, further on the reform of the Namibian road sector and the establishment of the Roads Contractor Company; the Roads Authority and the Road Fund Administration; labour-based work and SME contractor development; Namibia in the context of the Southern African Development Community and the role played by its corridors is dealt with and culminates in road finance, road network development and the operations of the Roads Authority of today.
Foreword
His Excellency Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of the Republic of Namibia
Foreword
Minister of Works and Transport
Foreword
Chief Executive Officer: Road Fund Administration
Chief Executive Officer: Roads Contractor Company
Chief Executive Officer: Roads Authority
Comments: Editorial Committee
Authors' Profiles
Compiling Editor's Note and Acknowledgements
Roads Authority: Vision, Mission and Values
Prologue
Footprints, Paths and Tracks
Legislation, Road Network Development and Road Finance
German Era
Union of South Africa Legislation 1919-1961
Professional and Technical Personnel
Republic of South Africa Legislation 1961-1990
Administration and Governance 1915-1990
Road Building 1884-1958
The German Era
The South African Era
South African Public Works Department
Economy 1919-1929
The Great Depression 1929-1934
Ode to the Road Builder
Mechanical Section 1938
The First Three Engineers
Roads Construction Commission 1950
JM Loopuyt
In-house Construction
History of the Namibian Road Sector
Establishment of a Materials Laboratory 1953
New Mechanical Section 1956/57
Public Service Commission 1956
Regional Organisation
Organogram 1956
New Facilities
Cloete Commission
Roads Branch
The Pioneer Road Builders
The Central Materials Laboratory Section
Len von Solms
WR (Billy) Thompson
Airports, Aerodromes, Airfields and Landing Strips
Percy C. Lewis
HJM Williamson
Theodorus Gerhardus (Fief) Thompson
Tourist Map
Ingo Laudien
Route Numbering System
Louw Zwart
David Holtzhausen
Mechanical Section
Kobus Durand
Wilfried Gawanab
Lukas Tjipanga
Daantjie Swart
Gerson Gogorob
Attie Oberholzer
Restructuring 1986
Engineering
Manipulation of Natural Materials
Birth of a Road
The Process
Surveying
Computers and Communications
Planning, Design and Financing
Economic Evaluation
Materials Specifications
Materials Stabilisation
Blacktop Surfacing
Namibian Innovations
The Salt Maintenance Unit
Materials
Procedure
Research
Bitumen Stabilisation
Carbonation
Dr Frank Netterberg
Windblown Sand on Roads
Structures
A Selection of Noteworthy Structures
Passes in Namibia
Construction and Maintenance
Gravel Roads
Maintenance of Gravel Roads
Jeremias (Ou Jerry) Frederick:
"South West Cabs" 1970s and 1980s
Sand Roads - Sandspoor
Blading under Contract
Satellite Tracking
Bituminous Surfacing of Low-volume Gravel Roads
Consulting Engineers
Contractors
Namibian Period (1990 to date)
In-house Construction Units
Further Developments
Bitumen-surfaced Road Maintenance
Bitumen Maintenance Units
Widening of Narrow Roads
Rejuvenation
Resealing
Rehabilitation
The rehabilitation of the B2 between Okahandja and Karibib 2008-2011 (Phase 1)
Ad hoc Maintenance and Betterment Activities
Training
Road Building Equipment and Plant
Labour-based Works
Northern Namibia
Labour-based Works - An Uncharted Frontier
Labour-based Construction and SME Contractor Development
The Road Ahead
Road Sector Reform
Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication
Establishment of Telecom Namibia Ltd and Namibia Post Ltd - 1992
Rationalisation 1993
Petrus Makale
Ministry of Works and Transport
MWTC2000 Project
Implementation
Features of the New Organisational Entities in the Road Sector
Roads Contractor Company Act, 1999 (Act No 14 of 1999)
RCC Mission and Vision
RCC Board of Directors
Roads Authority Act, 1999 (Act No 17 of 1999)
RA Mission and Vision
RA Board of Directors
Road Fund Administration Act, 1999 (Act No 18 of 1999)
RFA Mission and Vision
RFA Board of Directors
Corporate Governance of the New Entities
The Southern African Development Community and Corridors
SADC Protocol on Transport, Communications and Meteorology
Traffic Operations
Left-hand traffic
Walvis Bay Corridor
Financing the Road Network
Road Construction and Maintenance Expenditure
The Road Fund Administration
Network Development
Traffic Volume
Road Network Development Master Plans
Master Plans post 1990
Surfacing of the Road Network
Core Functions
Structure
Network Planning and Consultation
Construction and Rehabilitation
Road Management System
Keetmanshoop
Assigned Functions
Transport Information and Regulatory Services Division
Road Traffic and Transport Inspectorate
Corporate Services Division
The Roads Authority and the Private Sector
The Environment
Epilogue
Permanent Secretaries, Deputy Ministers and Ministers of the MWTC/MWT since
independence in 1990
Glossary
References / Sources
Abbreviations
Index