VARIOUS contractors have abandoned classrooms and teachers’ hostels at nine schools in the Oshana region.
The building of these structures commenced in 2014 already, yet many are still not completed seven years later.
Oshana regional director of education Hileni Amukana said some of these buildings are currently not fit for use.
She said the ministry’s headquarters in Windhoek awarded the projects, and the ministry was responsible for monitoring their progress.
“Some of them have pending court cases. While some of them have been completed, the contractors have deficits in terms of water connection, electrical wiring and sewerage systems,” she said.
The incompleted buildings are at the Onyeka, Oshipumbu and Omulunga combined schools.
Others include Shapwa Primary School, Ekwafo Senior Secondary School, Etambo Combined School, Chief Ankama Combined School, Omagano Primary School and Onaushe Primary School.
Contractor Tangeni Haulofu says his company, Northland Building Construction CC, has completed teachers’ accommodation structures at the Onyeka, Omulunga and Oshipumbu combined schools.
However, officials from the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture have refused to officially receive these facilities, he says.
“They told us to fence off the accommodation. We refused because the fence is not in the bill of quantity. They don’t want to accept the keys,” he says.
Haulofu says some of the structures have been vandalised.
“People broke into it and took gas cylinders meant to be used by teachers for cooking. At Oshipumbu they stole water meters and I had to go and buy new ones,” he says.
Haulofu says these incidents occur because no one looks after the properties.
Teachers are now forced to travel long distances to schools, he says.
Haulofu claims he gave the teachers the keys to the accommodation facilities at Onyeka Combined School, but the ministry kicked them out, saying it would not be held accountable if anything happened to them.
The ministry is wasting public funds, since the buildings are now white elephants, he says.
Haulofu says his company has built several government projects.
In his state of the region address two weeks ago, Oshana governor Elia Irimari said he was concerned over the projects.
“We need to ensure that these projects are completed. Therefore, I am urging the ministry to follow up on these projects and fully implement them,” he said.
Executive director of education, arts and culture Sanet Steenkamp did not respond to questions at the time of going to print.
Irimari said the regional directorate of education, received a budget of N$6 million from the central government last year to construct facilities.
He said the government made an additional N$59,5 million available in response to Covid-19.
This is to the improve sanitation and hygiene through the construction of ablution facilities and hostels at various schools.
“It is because of this response budget that we managed to improve sanitation, and better manage the Covid-9 pandemic at our schools.
“The budget was successfully utilised in constructing 40 ablution blocks at 40 schools at a cost of N$15,75 million.”
He said hostels were constructed at Ondjandjo Secondary School and Eluwa Resource School at a cost of N$14, 74 million and N$8, 83 million, respectively.
The education ministry is currently busy with the renovation and refurbishment of Andimba Toivo ya Toivo Secondary School at a total cost of N$154 million, he said.
“The project is progressing well and is currently 64% completed. A further N$4 million was also received from the European Union and successfully utilised to construct 10 classrooms at eight schools in the region,” Irimari said.
