Steenkamp warns against politicising Ndama school debacle
Cautions against short-term political interests, misinformation
Education minister Sanet Steenkamp has defended government’s response to the Ndama East community-run school issue, saying the matter has been misrepresented and stripped of context in recent public debates.
Steenkamp told parliament last Thursday that the ministry had been fully aware of the situation long before it surfaced on social media.
She said a new government school, Ndama South, was built in 2023 specifically to accommodate learners who had previously attended five unregistered schools in the settlement. Four of these schools closed, but one – Ndama East – has refused to comply and continues to operate illegally, she noted.
Government's Ndama South facility, located 900 metres from the unregistered school, consists of 14 classrooms and two ablution facilities.
It was part of a nationwide emergency programme that delivered more than 1 000 classrooms in less than two years to reduce overcrowding, the minister said.
In Kavango East alone, 87 classrooms and 13 ablution facilities were completed.
Despite this intervention, parents at Ndama East declined placements for their children at Ndama South, insisting on a school at a site never legally allocated for education development. “We have been engaging the parents consistently, but they still continue to defy the directive,” Steenkamp said.
Politicised job hunt
She further pointed out that some unemployed teachers were using the situation to push for employment guarantees, while others attempted to politicise the matter.
Steenkamp said this undermined the core issue: ensuring that every child has access to proper schooling in a safe and legal environment.
According to the ministry, the Rundu Town Council formally allocated the Ndama South site, which also has access to clean water, while the Ndama East plot lacks basic infrastructure and remains illegally occupied.
Consultations held in 2023 with community leaders and education authorities confirmed the government’s position, with broad support for the new school.
Steenkamp stressed that the ministry will continue pursuing legal measures to close unregistered schools while encouraging parents to enrol their children at government facilities.
She urged that education must remain a unifying force, free from misinformation and short-term political interests, warning that no unlawful practices would be allowed to compromise the future of Namibian children.
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Steenkamp told parliament last Thursday that the ministry had been fully aware of the situation long before it surfaced on social media.
She said a new government school, Ndama South, was built in 2023 specifically to accommodate learners who had previously attended five unregistered schools in the settlement. Four of these schools closed, but one – Ndama East – has refused to comply and continues to operate illegally, she noted.
Government's Ndama South facility, located 900 metres from the unregistered school, consists of 14 classrooms and two ablution facilities.
It was part of a nationwide emergency programme that delivered more than 1 000 classrooms in less than two years to reduce overcrowding, the minister said.
In Kavango East alone, 87 classrooms and 13 ablution facilities were completed.
Despite this intervention, parents at Ndama East declined placements for their children at Ndama South, insisting on a school at a site never legally allocated for education development. “We have been engaging the parents consistently, but they still continue to defy the directive,” Steenkamp said.
Politicised job hunt
She further pointed out that some unemployed teachers were using the situation to push for employment guarantees, while others attempted to politicise the matter.
Steenkamp said this undermined the core issue: ensuring that every child has access to proper schooling in a safe and legal environment.
According to the ministry, the Rundu Town Council formally allocated the Ndama South site, which also has access to clean water, while the Ndama East plot lacks basic infrastructure and remains illegally occupied.
Consultations held in 2023 with community leaders and education authorities confirmed the government’s position, with broad support for the new school.
Steenkamp stressed that the ministry will continue pursuing legal measures to close unregistered schools while encouraging parents to enrol their children at government facilities.
She urged that education must remain a unifying force, free from misinformation and short-term political interests, warning that no unlawful practices would be allowed to compromise the future of Namibian children.
[email protected]
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