Mungunda told The Namibian that recent media reports on the closure of Government hostels in the region were "factually incorrect".

However, he declined to elaborate on the reasons for closing the hostels.

He said a media release would be issued after consultation with the Permanent Secretary.

Mungunda emphasised that the demand for hostel accommodation in the region was still high, and said his office was considering reopening the hostels.

Manfred Rukoro, Senior Inspector for Hostel Management in the Ministry of Basic Education, told The Namibian last week that several hostels in eastern and southern Namibia had been closed down because of the low number of boarders.

He said the hostels had become a burden to Government as the occupation rate had dwindled over the years and they had become too expensive to maintain.

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