Karasburg schools without water

The water supply to four schools at Karasburg in the //Karas Region has been suspended, Namibian Sun has learned.

There are strong suggestions that the electricity supply to these schools may be cut too.

The permanent secretary in the education ministry, Sanet Steenkamp, could neither confirm nor deny this but admitted that the ministry was facing serious challenges as a result of budget shortfalls.

She said the education ministry had held a meeting with the finance ministry yesterday to discuss the availability of money.

“If we cannot reach an amicable solution with Cenored and other suppliers then we will have to go through the painful experience that children will not have water at their schools,” said Steenkamp.

According to her the ministry, like the rest of the government, works on a Treasury Authorisation Warrant (TAW), which means they receive a specific ceiling within which they have to operate.

This means utilities such as water and electricity supply can only be paid after staff salaries are processed. Thorough verification of invoices is done before payments are made.

A well-placed source at Karasburg, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the schools' water had been disconnected yesterday morning.

“We do not know how long this will be. They did not tell us when it will be on again. Early this month it was for a few hours, but it was the entire town but I think now they are targeting the individual defaulters,” she said.





JEMIMA BEUKES