Ministry addresses school’s long-standing issues
The education ministry has taken a decisive step to address long-standing issues plaguing Himarwa Ithete Secondary School in the Kavango West Region.
Despite controversy regarding the legitimacy of a government tender awarded to Rundu-based company Point Media CC to supply furniture to the school, the focus remains on alleviating the dire conditions staff and the learners have endured for years, the ministry said.
Himarwa Ithete Secondary School has long grappled with overcrowded hostel facilities, deteriorating infrastructure and unsanitary conditions, particularly due to blocked toilets. These challenges have created an environment that is not only detrimental to learners’ well-being, but also hampers their ability to learn effectively.
According to Alesha Severnius, who was part of the learners' representative council in 2022, most girls at the school sleep on mattresses on the floor due to a lack of accommodation.
“Teachers used to abscond from lessons due to the stench coming from the latrines, and the flushing toilets leak. The boys’ toilets were usually flooded, which caused a really bad smell,” she said.
“In 2022, about 700 learners were accommodated in the hostel – which had a capacity of 250 learners. This prompted the educational directorate to accommodate advanced subsidiary [AS] learners in tents.”
Alleged corruption
Point Media won a tender to supply the school with 90 chairs, 90 tables, three teachers’ desks, three teachers’ chairs, 33 science lab tools, 120 steel double-decker bunk beds and 240 mattresses. The company charged the ministry N$1 200 per chair, N$1 500 per table, N$2 700 per teachers’ desk, N$2 500 per teachers’ chair, N$4 000 for each lab tool, N$5 500 per bunk bed and N$2 200 per mattress.
Affirmative Repositioning (AR) activist Job Amupanda raised concerns about the legitimacy of the tender on social media, questioning the decision to award the contract to Point Media.
“This corrupt government will be the end of us if we don’t stand up. Imagine a company that prints flyers in Rundu given a tender to supply mattresses, chairs and tables to children at a government school... Point Media was paid close to N$2 million,” he said.
The ministry has, however, maintained that procurement guidelines were strictly adhered to.
In a statement, executive director Sanet Steenkamp said five bidders - Point Media, Rucara Islands Investment CC, Katondo Trading Enterprises CC, Forest Hill Investment and Zegamena Investment - were invited to submit quotations. Only three did.
“Rucara offered the lowest price. But given the fact that the bidder did not quote for all the items, their bid was deemed non-responsive. Equally, Katondo was also deemed non-responsive, as it did not attach a valid Social Security Commission good standing certificate. “Consequently, the procurement committee recommended the award of the procurement contract to Point Media, being the bidder having submitted the lowest evaluated, substantially responsive bid, which met the qualification criteria as specified in the bidding documents,” she added.
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Despite controversy regarding the legitimacy of a government tender awarded to Rundu-based company Point Media CC to supply furniture to the school, the focus remains on alleviating the dire conditions staff and the learners have endured for years, the ministry said.
Himarwa Ithete Secondary School has long grappled with overcrowded hostel facilities, deteriorating infrastructure and unsanitary conditions, particularly due to blocked toilets. These challenges have created an environment that is not only detrimental to learners’ well-being, but also hampers their ability to learn effectively.
According to Alesha Severnius, who was part of the learners' representative council in 2022, most girls at the school sleep on mattresses on the floor due to a lack of accommodation.
“Teachers used to abscond from lessons due to the stench coming from the latrines, and the flushing toilets leak. The boys’ toilets were usually flooded, which caused a really bad smell,” she said.
“In 2022, about 700 learners were accommodated in the hostel – which had a capacity of 250 learners. This prompted the educational directorate to accommodate advanced subsidiary [AS] learners in tents.”
Alleged corruption
Point Media won a tender to supply the school with 90 chairs, 90 tables, three teachers’ desks, three teachers’ chairs, 33 science lab tools, 120 steel double-decker bunk beds and 240 mattresses. The company charged the ministry N$1 200 per chair, N$1 500 per table, N$2 700 per teachers’ desk, N$2 500 per teachers’ chair, N$4 000 for each lab tool, N$5 500 per bunk bed and N$2 200 per mattress.
Affirmative Repositioning (AR) activist Job Amupanda raised concerns about the legitimacy of the tender on social media, questioning the decision to award the contract to Point Media.
“This corrupt government will be the end of us if we don’t stand up. Imagine a company that prints flyers in Rundu given a tender to supply mattresses, chairs and tables to children at a government school... Point Media was paid close to N$2 million,” he said.
The ministry has, however, maintained that procurement guidelines were strictly adhered to.
In a statement, executive director Sanet Steenkamp said five bidders - Point Media, Rucara Islands Investment CC, Katondo Trading Enterprises CC, Forest Hill Investment and Zegamena Investment - were invited to submit quotations. Only three did.
“Rucara offered the lowest price. But given the fact that the bidder did not quote for all the items, their bid was deemed non-responsive. Equally, Katondo was also deemed non-responsive, as it did not attach a valid Social Security Commission good standing certificate. “Consequently, the procurement committee recommended the award of the procurement contract to Point Media, being the bidder having submitted the lowest evaluated, substantially responsive bid, which met the qualification criteria as specified in the bidding documents,” she added.
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