Posted on 01 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
According to an application to the High Court in Windhoek, the Shetu Trading company wants a tender awarded to a Chinese company to be reviewed or set aside. Executive director of Shetu Trading Anna Mbundu alleges that the Namibian cabinet, in a July 2009 resolution, resolved to go along with a Chinese government agreement to [...] [...more]
Posted on 16 October 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
A pre-feasibility study for the proposed new Trans-Kalahari railway from Botswana to the Namibian coast has begun, after three years of preliminary planning. Expected to take twelve months, the work is being funded by a N$3.4m ($US463,000) grant from the World Bank and N$329,000 ($US44,744) each from the two countries. [...more]
Posted on 09 October 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Following a month in Namibia, Pierre de Wet reports enthusiastically on a number of well-kept stations: “Down south at Aus on the Lüderitz line there is a large depot with concrete sleepers in neat stacks including those fancy see-through ones that Railways Africa published some time ago. Brave people resuscitating this very difficult line. Apart from [...] [...more]
Posted on 02 October 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Responding to a question by Arnold Tjihuiko in Namibia’s parliament on 24 September, works and transport minister Helmut Angula said payments for the four locomotives bought from China in 2004 were accompanied by letters of credit “through the banking systems directly to the supplier of the goods in China. No local agent or middleman was [...] [...more]
Posted on 27 July 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
According to Namibian works and transport minister Helmut Angula, replying to a question in parliament, four Chinese locomotives costing about N$36 million which arrived in Namibia five years ago suffered 265 failures between October 2004 and June 2007. After this they were withdrawn from service. “This translated into an availability rate of less than [...] [...more]
Posted on 17 July 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Titus Haimbili has been reinstated as chief executive officer of TransNamib, the national railway of Namibia, according to an announcement at a media briefing on 6 July by works minister Helmut Angula. Haimbili had been suspended from duty since August 2008. The company’s employees embarked on a national strike in protest, bringing the railway to [...] [...more]
Posted on 03 July 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
According to a 25 June parliamentary news release, the Namibian cabinet has approved plans to rehabilitate and upgrade “worn-out” parts of the national railway, and to set up committees and sub-committees comprising officials of line ministries, TransNamib and NamPort for the purpose. The ministry of works is now in a position to call for an [...] [...more]
Posted on 28 May 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Forty-five TransNamib locomotives are being restored currently at a cost of around N$225 million. The first phase, completed during May 2009, comprised five units. Phase two will see 18 units refurbished, and the remaining 22 will be handled in phase three. TransNamib hopes to purchase two locomotives presently on loan from Transnet in South Africa, [...] [...more]
Posted on 28 May 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
According to TransNamib acting CEO Mike Kavekotora, the line north of Kranzberg junction is in poor condition – so much so that “there is a high risk of trains getting derailed.” Because of this, passenger services have been discontinued and freight trains are running below capacity. Speaking at the commissioning of the first five locomotives completed [...] [...more]
Posted on 15 May 2009 by Station Master
SDV International Logistics recently opened a branch office, SDV Namibia (Pty) Ltd, a member of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG), based in Walvis Bay, with the aim of providing a logistics service to potential and existing clients utilizing the Walvis Bay Corridors through the Port of Walvis Bay. This follows a favourable rise [...] [...more]
