Lüderitz school lock out

THE Tate Distributors building contractor has locked out pupils and teachers from the Helen Van Rhyn Primary School at Lüderitz over N$1 million Government allegedly owes it for the construction of the school.

The new school was built to replace the dilapidated Helen Van Rhyn Primary School building because it posed a safety risk.Karas Education Director August Mungunda yesterday said that the lockout had disrupted the teaching of 450 children, who were temporarily moved back to the old building.’This is causing total chaos. All teaching material and furniture are locked in at the new school building. Some learners are even sitting on the floors,’ said Mungunda. Mungunda said the Works Ministry Permanent Secretary, Education Ministry Permanent Secretary, Government lawyers and the construction company’s management were meeting yesterday to resolve the issue. However, Education Permanent Secretary Vitalis Ankama, when contacted yesterday, said he had no knowledge of a pay dispute or about pupils and teachers being locked out from a school building. Despite that, he condemned the building contractor’s actions, saying: ‘Nobody can just go and lock a school unless he or she donated the school.’’It’s illegal to lock out learners and teachers. There are procedures to push the Government if it had failed to honour its agreement,’ said Ankama. A manager of the building contractor, a certain Mr Shilomboleni, refused to comment. ‘I will only comment after you have spoken to the Works Ministry Permanent Secretary,’ he said. Attempts to get comment from the Works Permanent Secretary, George Simataa, yesterday proved futile as his secretary referred The Namibian to the Under Secretary Andrew Mwazi. Efforts to get comment from Mwazi also failed, as he and Simataa were in a meeting at the time of going to the press. luqman@namibian.com.na