Persistent floods hit Rundu training institute

Persistent flooding at Rundu’s Kehemu location has disrupted operations at Ngato Institute of Science and Technology (Nist) for over three weeks, raising health concerns among students and residents.

What started as seasonal rainfall has left parts of the campus and surrounding residential areas submerged.

Nist founder and director Fernando Ngato says the problem is no longer only rainwater.

“Even when the rain stops, the water continues coming from underground. In the past, it would stand for two or three days and then disappear. Now it remains. It reaches our gate level and students cannot enter properly,” he explains.

Established in 2015, the Nist employs more than 50 instructors and has about 1 500 enrolled students.

Ngato describes the situation as a natural disaster rather than a man-made problem, noting that emerging underground water and the area’s topography make drainage difficult without professional engineering intervention.

Both the school management and students are now calling for urgent intervention from the local authority.

“This water has been here historically. Our elders used to speak about it,” Ngato says.

He says the stagnant water has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, causing fears of a malaria outbreak.

He adds that waste floating in the water has worsened unhygienic conditions, with some residents continuing to dump rubbish in the affected area.

“There is a way out. If engineers assess the land properly, a water channel can be created to allow the water to flow to the river. But it requires leadership and coordination,” he says.

Second-year student Mukela Mwenda, who enrolled last September, says reaching campus has become difficult.

He adds that many students are forced to take longer routes to school, often arriving late and exhausted.

“Some of us stay nearby, but others are coming from far. They have to go around because this is the main way most people use,” Mwenda says.

Level 4 occupational health and safety student Collin Kandume says the flooding is a hazard for both students and residents.

“We have little children playing in this water. They don’t know about the diseases it can cause,” Kandume says.

Kehemu resident and bar owner Kaarina Namushinga (73) says the flooding has affected their daily lives and income.

“I decided to close the bar because there is no place for customers to sit or park their cars. It is unhygienic because the yard is full of water,” she says.

Rundu Town Council spokesperson Benjamin Makayi says the council will request reports from the technical team to determine the findings and respond accordingly.

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