Ngurare reunites with beloved former teacher

Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare took time during a recent visit to Rundu to reconnect with his former Standard 4 teacher at Kaisosi Primary School, Scholastica Mbava-Hausiku.

His office described it as a heartfelt tribute to the woman who saw his potential and helped shape his life’s trajectory.

Affectionately known as 'Ms Mbava', the retired teacher warmly received the prime minister at her residence in Rundu, blessing him with a cross on his forehead and wishing him well in his life and new leadership role.

After thanking her former pupil for visiting her, she said: "Ek is in die wolke (I am on cloud nine)."

She explained that when she first received a call about the PM's visit, she at first thought it might be a scam.

"What a humble and very important visit for someone from this office to come and see me. I feel so honoured,” she said, visibly moved, according to a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister.

The two shared warm moments of reflection, reminiscing about the old days.

Help for KCS

Following concerns raised during his later visit to Kaisosi Combined School (KCS) in Rundu, Ngurare has pledged to mobilise support to address the school’s pressing needs.

Key challenges include persistent water shortages, limited teaching resources and a growing number of vulnerable learners – over 300 orphans and 130 without identification documents.

Despite these hardships, the prime minister commended the school community for its resilience and initiative. He singled out the feeding programme as a commendable, community-driven effort that reflects a strong spirit of collective responsibility.

Ngurare emphasised the importance of unity and mutual support, urging learners, teachers and the broader community to continue working together.

He outlined practical steps to support the school’s development, including launching brick-making initiatives toward the construction of an administration block.

The prime minister also pledged his personal involvement from the design phase through to completion and called for collaboration with the Rundu Vocational Training Centre (RVTC) to help address the school’s infrastructure and skills needs.

Graduates must lead

At the 2026 University of Namibia (Unam) graduation ceremony last week in Rundu, Ngurare challenged graduates and the institution to take a leading role in national development.

He called for Unam, particularly the Rundu campus, to revive the defunct Uvungu-Vungu and Mashare agro-processing initiatives and green schemes and urged the Katima Mulilo Unam campus to work with the line ministry to establish a mango processing plant in Zambezi.

“We want to go beyond talking, we want Unam to move,” he said, noting ongoing efforts with traditional authorities to secure land for development projects and drive meaningful progress.

Graduates were reminded of the importance of deliberate nation-building and their responsibility to translate acquired knowledge into action.

“We have studied, but now we must apply what we have learned. Graduation is not the end, it is the beginning of purpose and impact,” he said.