Omitara residents protest for school jobs

• BRANDON VAN WYKRESIDENTS of Omitara, a settlement near Gobabis in the Omaheke region, held a peaceful protest on Friday morning against the employment of six people from other areas by the local school.

The six people were employed as cleaners and matrons at the Otjivero Primary School.

Settlement committee secretary Willem Haoseb explained that the hostel was completed in 2013 by the Namibian German Special Initiative Programme, and has been vacant ever since.

He said they had asked the Germans to build the hostel for the community so that the local youth from the community could find employment there. Despite 95% of the residents of Omitara being unemployed, the council has mostly employed people from other regions.

“Only three out of the nine people employed at the hostel last month are from Omitara, while the other six people are from other regions,” he charged. He added that many of the Omitara residents who qualified for the posts were overlooked.

Haoseb also slammed the alleged poor quality education offered at the local school, saying they were likewise protesting for the principal to step down.

“The education level at our school is not up to standard; a child in Grade 7 cannot even read or write. That is why we want the headmaster to step down,” he added.

He said only two teachers are qualified at the school.

Haoseb also alleged that one of the three Omitara residents now employed at the hostel is the school principal’s son.

“The school principal’s son, along with two relatives of the education director, are employed at the hostel. This is why we say there is favouritism and corruption at the school and in the community itself,” he stated.

Fellow resident Martha Eigowas said the vision of building the hostel was for the people from their community to benefit, and so that their children could stay there since they “just roam the streets otherwise”.

She said the community was not able to manage the hostel on their own, and so decided to give it to the government.

“The government then took the hostel, and gave it to other people. People who do not even live at Omitara,” she lamented, adding that they have to pay for water and buy electricity, and thus don’t how they will survive if they cannot get work.

Another resident, Sherline Tsuos, added that the council had promised the new posts at the hostel to Omitara residents only.

Meanwhile, Otjivero Primary School principal Rebecca Heita said the vacancies at the hostel were advertised nationwide.

“They are [also] accusing me of hiring a boy who has my surname, but the reality is that this boy is not my biological child,” she added.

“After this, all the interviews were cancelled because people became angry. The regional office therefore sent people to do the interviews and hire whoever they thought were the best candidates,” Heita said.

“They closed down the school so that the children cannot attend school today, and that is why I am calling this strike illegal,” she added.

Heita said the children were missing writing national examinations because of this protest, which will not work to the advantage of the children.

Omaheke regional education director Peka Semba could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The protest in Omaheke came a day after some residents at Tses in the //Karas region likewise blocked the entrance to the Nowak Primary School in protest against a ‘struggle kid’ who was employed there as a cleaner after a Cabinet directive to employ some ‘struggle kids’ in the regions. (see another story on page 6)

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.