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There are two things that we forget only when we die, Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet has noted; our mother’s face and the face of our city. These words lead me to think of my city as a home, not only for my family and friends but also for posterity. But looking at the face of many African cities, you realize they have been defrocked of their original look. The neat and firm walls without cracks of the last two or three decades have now been replaced by fragile structures that thirst for a coat of paint!
The growth of infrastructure and efficient transportation and communication networks are essential for the promotion of the productive sectors of an economy. National governments have made efforts to avail facilities for the smooth flow of transport, proper housing, good schools and health facilities.
A good number of new roads have been built, fresh buildings erected to serve as offices, school buildings or health facilities; equipment including computers and expensive gadgets have also been purchased or are being installed in various cities in Africa. This is very commendable.
It can be noticed that the management of many African cities has not yet taken maintenance seriously. This is manifested in the myriad potholes on roads that lead to these cities and even in the city centre. Several junctions and crossroads that formerly had operational traffic lights now have lifeless metallic poles that offer no help to doubting pedestrians. Road markings are at best sign posts with unreadable details.
Delving into the plans of many cities, it is difficult to find corrective maintenance plans that are regularly financed. When you speak to any manager or city council member about maintenance, their first thought would be on the expenses involved. Even when there may not be a lot of resources to be devoted to maintenance activities, it is very clear that any investment would lead to increased asset life and reduced replacement due to premature failure.
Another setback has been that there structures that were inherited by people who have no idea about asset management. These live on for decades without facelifts, checking and replacement of emergency facilities like water hoses, fire extinguishers and sewerage facilities. Sometimes window panes, ventilators and door locks fail or fall away and no one gives a damn.
There are very low levels of planned maintenance both in the public and private sector. Neglect of the maintenance of existing public assets is one of the major reasons for the poor quality of services. This is the cost we have to pay for years of neglect and we should learn that waning of infrastructure and assets represents an enormous drain on national wealth.
Planned maintenance is not just preventive maintenance but any type of maintenance that has been planned in advance such that facilities and equipment are protected and maintenance resources are effectively used.
It is important for Africans to cultivate a maintenance culture. We need to change our attitude to “government property”. Government and corporate property must be treated as if it were private property for it belongs to all the people and is held in trust by the government for the good of all.
UNESCO is supporting the establishment of a Regional Centre of Maintenance and Maintenance Network, hosted by Tanzania, which will initially serve Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The Centre is expected to address the crucial development problem of lack of maintenance. The absence of a maintenance culture has resulted in the collapse of infrastructures, leading to slow economic activity and low incomes. The strategic objective for the region is to ensure that the appreciation of regular maintenance becomes a permanent feature of the value system of African societies.
And unless Africans embrace this UNESCO initiative and all others aimed at helping us to learn to take good care of the assets we have, maintenance will remain taboo for a while.
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Charles Sendegeya
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