Abandoned Tipeeg projects haunt Oshana
Half-finished classrooms and teachers' housing are being vandalised as the region struggles to complete the abandoned projects.
The Oshana education directorate is battling to complete teacher housing and classroom projects at various schools that formed part of the N$14.4 billion Targeted Intervention Programme for Employment and Economic Growth (Tipeeg) initiative.
The Oshana projects have been standing uncompleted since 2014, when contractors disappeared after abandoning the sites.
Some of the properties have been vandalised or are falling apart and need to be properly renovated before completion.
Tipeeg was created to reduce unemployment and fight poverty, but there were allegations that certain individuals used it selfishly to increase their wealth by misappropriating resources meant to benefit the poor and jobless.
Members of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) had also alleged there was favouritism and nepotism in the awarding of tenders under Tipeeg.
A total of 23 classrooms were in the process of being constructed at Oshapwa Primary School, Ekwafo Secondary School, Ehenye Primary School, Eluwa Special School and Olukolo Primary School, while nine teacher houses at Omapopo, Omulunga, Oshipumbu and Oshekesheka were also left incomplete when the contractors disappeared.
Tipeeg also funded the construction of the Ongwediva Junior Secondary School that came to a standstill after N$38 million was paid to contractors before the work was completed and they then later disappeared.
Oshana education director Hileni Amukana told Namibian Sun that so far Only Ehenye and Eluwa have been completed, while new contractors are also busy completing work at the Ongwediva Junior Secondary School.
It is an anticipated the school will be ready for the beginning of the next academic year.
Amukana said the region needs these projects completed as a matter of urgency.
This is especially because the education ministry has introduced a revised education curriculum that includes the abolishment of external Grade 10 examinations by 2019 and Grade 9 learners writing their first semi-external examinations this year.
“For the uncompleted teachers' houses, consultants and the contractors where requested to complete the outstanding work. The regional works' inspector and the constructors where on the site to find out what exactly has to be completed.
“For the classrooms, only construction at Eluwa and Ehenye has been completed and the classes are already occupied by the learners, while classes at Oshapwa Primary School, Ekwafo Secondary School and Olukolo are still not completed,” Amukana said
She said this is not in their mandate as a region, because these capital projects were spearheaded by the ministry and monitored from its head office.
In 2011 government promised to create 104 000 jobs over three years with the Tipeeg budget provision of N$14.4 billion. However, only N$11 billion of Tipeeg funds were spent during the duration of the programme, which ended in March 2014.
Tipeeg was also widely criticised for creating mainly short-term jobs, despite the huge budget. The programme created only 83 000 jobs, which included a meagre 15 829 permanent jobs, over the last three years. This is 20% below the target of 104 000 jobs initially announced in 2011.
ILENI NANDJATO
The Oshana projects have been standing uncompleted since 2014, when contractors disappeared after abandoning the sites.
Some of the properties have been vandalised or are falling apart and need to be properly renovated before completion.
Tipeeg was created to reduce unemployment and fight poverty, but there were allegations that certain individuals used it selfishly to increase their wealth by misappropriating resources meant to benefit the poor and jobless.
Members of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) had also alleged there was favouritism and nepotism in the awarding of tenders under Tipeeg.
A total of 23 classrooms were in the process of being constructed at Oshapwa Primary School, Ekwafo Secondary School, Ehenye Primary School, Eluwa Special School and Olukolo Primary School, while nine teacher houses at Omapopo, Omulunga, Oshipumbu and Oshekesheka were also left incomplete when the contractors disappeared.
Tipeeg also funded the construction of the Ongwediva Junior Secondary School that came to a standstill after N$38 million was paid to contractors before the work was completed and they then later disappeared.
Oshana education director Hileni Amukana told Namibian Sun that so far Only Ehenye and Eluwa have been completed, while new contractors are also busy completing work at the Ongwediva Junior Secondary School.
It is an anticipated the school will be ready for the beginning of the next academic year.
Amukana said the region needs these projects completed as a matter of urgency.
This is especially because the education ministry has introduced a revised education curriculum that includes the abolishment of external Grade 10 examinations by 2019 and Grade 9 learners writing their first semi-external examinations this year.
“For the uncompleted teachers' houses, consultants and the contractors where requested to complete the outstanding work. The regional works' inspector and the constructors where on the site to find out what exactly has to be completed.
“For the classrooms, only construction at Eluwa and Ehenye has been completed and the classes are already occupied by the learners, while classes at Oshapwa Primary School, Ekwafo Secondary School and Olukolo are still not completed,” Amukana said
She said this is not in their mandate as a region, because these capital projects were spearheaded by the ministry and monitored from its head office.
In 2011 government promised to create 104 000 jobs over three years with the Tipeeg budget provision of N$14.4 billion. However, only N$11 billion of Tipeeg funds were spent during the duration of the programme, which ended in March 2014.
Tipeeg was also widely criticised for creating mainly short-term jobs, despite the huge budget. The programme created only 83 000 jobs, which included a meagre 15 829 permanent jobs, over the last three years. This is 20% below the target of 104 000 jobs initially announced in 2011.
ILENI NANDJATO
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