Manfred Rukoro, Senior Inspector for Hostel Management in the Ministry of Basic Education, told The Namibian that the hostels had become a burden to Government as the occupation rate had dwindled over the years and they became too expensive to maintain.

Among the latest hostels to be closed are the Oosterlig Hostel of the Ben van der Walt Primary school at Gobabis, part of the JA Nel School Hostel at Keetmanshoop, a section of Suiderlig Secondary School hostel and the hostel at Dr Lemmer School at Rehoboth.

Rukoro said Oosterlig Hostel used only about 40 per cent of its capacity last year while Government spent around N$600 000 to maintain the place.

Some parents were up in arms over the closure of the Ooosterlig Hostel, complaining that they were informed too late.

"The country's Constitution gives us the right to take our children to any hostel within the borders of the Republic but they closed the hostel without consulting us. The notice was also too late," said one parent from Gobabis.

Letters were sent to parents in October, informing them that a decision was taken in September to close the hostel.

According to a copy of a letter in the possession of The Namibian, a parents' meeting in early September was also informed about the decision to close the Oosterlig Hostel.

Rukoro said since the closure the Ministry officials at Gobabis have only encountered one "genuine" concern about a need for the hostel.

He said there had been a decline in the use of hostels in the South over the past couple of years and although some had been closed, others re-opened because of the need.

He cited as an example the hostel at Ariamsvlei that re-opened last year and the JF Herero Hostel at Karasburg that re-opened this year after it was shut down earlier.

Both JA Nel and Suiderlig hostels were underutilised.

A part of the JA Nel Hostel was closed and transferred to the Ministry of Higher Education, which converted it into a youth centre.

The one part at Suiderlig was closed and turned into a storeroom for drought relief food.

Although the hostel at Dr Lemmer has the capacity to take in 500 students, it had only 80 last year.

Rukoro said it was closed down mainly because of vandalism.

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