Tempers inflate over Katima Mulilo/Cape Fria railway

The recent move by Windhoek based Enviro Dynamics to make public an environment impact assessment on the proposed Katima Mulilo/Cape Fria railway is said to have caused mayhem in political cycles, the Economist was told this week. The project is the brainchild of Founding Father of the Nation, Dr Sam Nujoma. A source close to the project said after the recent press reports that the project will have negative consequences on the environment, politicians and officials of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications have turned the heat on Enviro Dynamics and blamed the firm for making the report public. However, Enviro Dynamics blames the media for creating the impression that the project is not viable.

Some concerns have been raised on the effects the proposed railway line from to Katima Mulilo near the borders with Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana to Cape Fria in the Skeleton Coast Park will cause. Environmentalists and animal rights activists say if it goes ahead, the project will have negative effects on the environment in general and wildlife in particular. The Economist understands that, according to the result of a recent assessment, the proposed railway will have a negative impact on rural communities. The assessment indicates that the railway will interfere with the seasonal floods of the Kwando River in the Caprivi and Okavango regions and also affect the tourism potential of the Kunene Region. The railway is planned to be 1500 kilometres long. A new road would run parallel to the railway line in Kaokoland. The preliminary environmental impact assessment was conducted for the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications by Urban Dynamics, Enviro Dynamics and Windhoek Consulting Engineers.