Heavy floods in North spoil education documents, files

FLOODS resulting from heavy rainfall in the North over the past few days, especially at Ondangwa, Onandjokwe and Oniipa, have destroyed a number of vital education files in the Ohangwena and Oshikoto Regions and damaged other documents.

The Acting Director for Ohangwena Education Region, Alfeus Benjamin, told The Namibian yesterday that most of the files contained particulars of teachers and officials working in those education regions. This is the second time in a year that the personnel files of teachers and other officials in these two education regions have been destroyed in a disaster.Last year these offices were destroyed by fire, prompting the Ondangwa Town Council, in sympathy, to make part of its own office blocks available for temporary use.Most of the town council offices then moved to the old Banana Shopping Centre area.It was at these old premises that the latest floods destroyed files and other documents.According to Benjamin, this is the third time this year that floodwaters have invaded the regions’ offices.”During the first two times, it did not damage the files and documents as is the case this time,” Benjamin said.This time, he said blockages in nearby canals and drains were responsible for the overflow.He indicated that the risk of this happening had been made clear many times to the Ondangwa Town Council and the Department of Works, but nothing had been done.The Senior Personnel Officer in the Ohangwena and Oshikoto Education Regional Office, Thomas Iimene, also blamed the Town Council and Ministry of Works.Because of the heavy rain this week, even the catchment area has filled up.The Ondangwa Town Executive Officer, Funneka Shigwedha, admitted that there were drainage problems at the town and said the council was doing its best to rectify them.But there were many constraints: “Ondangwa is an old town, from those years, and its drain system is also very old and needs to be replaced or renovated, but the Council needs money to do so.”According to the town’s master plan, N$2,7 million was needed to repair the drainage system in Ondangwa town alone as earlier drains provided by those companies that built houses for residents had been substandard.”Of the planned N$2,7 million Drain System Project, we have already used N$250 000 and one part of the town has now a proper draining system, but… there is still a lot to do in this connection and the residents have to wait with patience.We will rectify this problem.”But Shigwedha also blamed the education personnel officials for keeping their files on the floor instead of in cupboards or cabinets.He said that he held a meeting with the Director of Education for Ohangwena Region and Oshikoto Region on Tuesday, and the Town Council had promised to pump the floodwater away and unblock the drains.”Ondangwa, like Oshakati, is a flooding area and can be flooded and washed away any time when much rain is falling in this part of the country.”This is the second time in a year that the personnel files of teachers and other officials in these two education regions have been destroyed in a disaster.Last year these offices were destroyed by fire, prompting the Ondangwa Town Council, in sympathy, to make part of its own office blocks available for temporary use.Most of the town council offices then moved to the old Banana Shopping Centre area.It was at these old premises that the latest floods destroyed files and other documents.According to Benjamin, this is the third time this year that floodwaters have invaded the regions’ offices.”During the first two times, it did not damage the files and documents as is the case this time,” Benjamin said.This time, he said blockages in nearby canals and drains were responsible for the overflow.He indicated that the risk of this happening had been made clear many times to the Ondangwa Town Council and the Department of Works, but nothing had been done.The Senior Personnel Officer in the Ohangwena and Oshikoto Education Regional Office, Thomas Iimene, also blamed the Town Council and Ministry of Works.Because of the heavy rain this week, even the catchment area has filled up.The Ondangwa Town Executive Officer, Funneka Shigwedha, admitted that there were drainage problems at the town and said the council was doing its best to rectify them.But there were many constraints: “Ondangwa is an old town, from those years, and its drain system is also very old and needs to be replaced or renovated, but the Council needs money to do so.”According to the town’s master plan, N$2,7 million was needed to repair the drainage system in Ondangwa town alone as earlier drains provided by those companies that built houses for residents had been substandard.”Of the planned N$2,7 million Drain System Project, we have already used N$250 000 and one part of the town has now a proper draining system, but… there is still a lot to do in this connection and the residents have to wait with patience.We will rectify this problem.”But Shigwedha also blamed the education personnel officials for keeping their files on the floor instead of in cupboards or cabinets.He said that he held a meeting with the Director of Education for Ohangwena Region and Oshikoto Region on Tuesday, and the Town Council had promised to pump the floodwater away and unblock the drains.”Ondangwa, like Oshakati, is a flooding area and can be flooded and washed away any time when much rain is falling in this part of the country.”