Walvis municipality to outsource basic maintenance of streets

The road and building control department of the Walvis Bay municipality was asked to consider outsourcing some of its basic street maintenance functions.

Councillor Richard Hoaeb, chairperson of the management committee, emphasised that this move is related, in particular, to small and routine maintenance. “The alternative is to create several new positions for this purpose, which would be very costly. The proposal was, therefore, to launch a pilot project to outsource some routine small maintenance to SMEs owned and operated by permanent residents of the areas where the maintenance is needed”, he explained.

Hoaeb said to outsource its traditional street sweeping activities to community-based SMEs, including some small repairs or replacements of interlocks, curb stones, traffic and road signs, and even road markings and minor pothole repairs, will be a significant cost-saving exercise for the council. “It was thus recommended that as a trial run, provision be made in the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 operating budgets and in the next annual procurement plan to appointment five such SME contractors for a trial period of one year, to assist the council in these activities.”

An express condition of this project to be added, is that the bidding document must reflect the municipal council’s desire that the projects be reserved for Walvis Bay-based and operated SMEs. “Preference should then be for SMEs owned and operated by permanent residents of the suburbs where the projects will be executed. In addition, with the current revision of the superstructure, the human resources division will be tasked to also look at the internal strengthening of the supervisory levels on Band B and C in the structure. This will be through a restructuring process rather than creating new positions to achieve the optimum productivity in service delivery by the municipality staff.”