POLICE officers in Oshana region have confiscated knives and cellphones, among other items, from pupils at Mweshipandeka High School hostel at Ongwediva.
According to Oshana police spokesperson inspector Thomas Aiyambo, the contraband was confiscated during a police search at the school on Tuesday morning.
Aiyambo said last week some pupils from the same school were caught with a whisky-brandy blend, popularly known in northern Namibia as ‘Angolan whisky’, on the school grounds.
“Their behaviour and conduct were suspicious, thus the school management informed the Ongwediva station commander,” Aiyambo said.
He urged parents to cooperate with the schools and report children abusing drugs and alcohol such as the “illegally imported” whisky-brandy blend from Angola.
When approached for comment, Oshana regional director Hileni Amukana referred this reporter to the school. However, The Namibian’s attempts to contact Mweshipandeka High School were unsuccessful, as the switchboard number was not answered.
A teacher from Onekuta Junior Secondary School in Ohangwena region told The Namibian on Tuesday that pupils at his school bring knives and the whisky-brandy blend to school.
The teacher said although the principal has warned the pupils, the school has not observed any change in the pupils’ behaviour.
The Namibian reported on Monday that a 19-year-old pupil from Haimbili Haufiku Secondary School in the Ohangwena region was found with cannabis on the school premises last week.
According to Ohangwena region police spokesperson inspector Kaume Itumba, the pupil was allegedly selling the drugs to fellow pupils at the school. The drugs have since been confiscated.
Itumba said the pupil was allegedly selling the drugs at the school for an outsider. His fellow pupils then reported him to the principal’s office.
Haimbili Haufiku Secondary School principal Rabanus Shaninga confirmed the incident to The Namibian on Monday. He, however, declined to give details on the incident, saying it might endanger the pupil’s life.
“We are dealing with the matter. Parents have been informed and the child is receiving counselling. For the sake of the child, we need to treat the matter very sensitively,” he said.
The Namibian could not establish the value of the cannabis, as Itumba was tied up in meetings and out in the field.
On Monday, Itumba said the police in Ohangwena region received information about pupils attending schools near the Namibia/Angola border bringing two-litre containers of tombo and the whisky-brandy mix to school. He said the pupils carry the alcohol in their school bags.
