N$6m for rundown house
The Ohangwena regional council has confirmed that the government paid N$6 million for a rundown property, which subsequently was renovated with the help of parents before accommodating over 100 pupils.
Former Oshana governor Sylvanus Vatuva has received a massive N$6 million windfall for his rundown property and mahangu field at the Omungwelume settlement, which is now being controversially used to house 118 school learners.
Ohangwena governor Usko Nghaamwa and his administration are on a collision course over his decision to accommodate the pupils without following proper procedures.
However, it is the N$6 million price tag of the property, purchased by the regional council through the ministry of urban and rural development, which has raised eyebrows. Ohangwena regional council chairperson Ericson Ndawanifa told Namibian Sun this week the property had been valuated, but he would not supply the evaluation figure as proof. “Discussions regarding that land and property took a long time. The property and the land were evaluated and the regional council approved the value. When he (Vatuva) was compensated, the money came from the ministry of urban and rural development and not the regional council,” Ndawanifa said.
Vatuva, who served as Oshana governor between 1992 and 1998, confirmed he was compensated “to pave way for development” after clinching a deal with the regional council.
“The house together with the mahangu field falls under settlement land. The council then compensated me for the whole piece of land,” Vatuva said.
He did not say how much he was paid. The former governor has since acquired a new property not far from his original homestead.
Collision course
The payment for the land came to light this week when Namibian Sun was covering the unfolding drama around the accommodation of the 118 pupils from Omungwelume Senior Secondary School in the regional council property.
Following his visit earlier this year, Nghaamwa ordered that learners be accommodated in a vacant house that the council had acquired last year.
The principal of the school George Nanghanda moved the learners into the house soon after Nghaamwa's visit.
However, this had been done without a council resolution leading to unfolding feud, which has included the council switching off water supply to the property.
The council does not support the decision to accommodate the 118 learners at the settlement and is finding ways to push the learners out.
At the beginning of the year, Nghaamwa, accompanied by Ongenga constituency councillor Sakaria Haimudi, visited various schools in the region, including Omungwelume, where it was revealed by management that more than 360 learners were suffering due to a lack of accommodation at the school.
The governor was informed that some learners were camping outdoors in the school premises, while others were living in makeshift structures within the settlement - a situation which made the educational environment very challenging.
Nghaamwa confirmed on Tuesday to Namibian Sun his decision to accommodate learners in a regional council house had created tension between him and his councillors.
“Soon after the learners occupied the house, the water got disconnected by the regional council. I spoke to the ministry of agriculture to provide them with water, which they did. This house was vacant since it was bought and since there is a need for learner accommodation, why can't we make use of it? Learners have already moved in and it is unfair if the regional council is chasing them out. All I am doing is to create a conducive environment for the learners,” Nghaamwa said. He said these learners are from far-flung places throughout his vast region and do not have family members in Omungwelume.
He said the house accommodates both male and female learners under the care of four supervisors, provided by the parents.
“Those learners will remain there until the end of the year, then we will find a way forward. Their future is in our hands and any decision we are making may impact their future in one way or the other. This is what it means meeting the government halfway,” he said.
Verbal undertaking
Nanghanda said before Nghaamwa visited the school they had already submitted a request to the regional council for them to accommodate learners in the house.
The council, however, did not respond to them “on time”. “When the governor visited our school and we briefed him on the situation, he made a decision that the learners be accommodated in the house. Since the house was vandalised by community members after the owner left, parents solicited money to have the premises renovated. Just after the learners moved in, a letter came in from the regional council that our request was rejected,” Nanghanda said.
He said the regional council does not have money to renovate the house.
Nanghanda said since the parents collected money, they wrote an appeal letter to the council. He said 118 learners are currently in the house and once their request is granted by the regional council, they will renovate currently unoccupied rooms, so more learners can be accommodated.
He said parents are willing to help and they are currently providing food and paying the caretakers. Nghaamwa always provides mahangu to the learners.
“The regional council is saying that we are occupying the house illegally and they disconnected water. The governor however made a provision for us to get water supply through the regional directorate of water affairs,” Nanghanda said. Education director Isak Hamatwi said Omungwelume is not the only school without a hostel in the region and it is the duty of parents to find accommodation their children.
“The Omungwelume situation is just similar to other non-boarding schools. Parents have to find accommodation for their children. We have similar situations at other schools in the region. Omungwelume is a day school and parents have to find their own accommodation,” Hamatwi said.
Not followed
Ohangwena chief regional officer Fillipus Shilongo said proper channels were not followed when the school requested the premises and this resulted in the council rejecting the request.
“The school falls under the directorate of education and if they want something they have to go through this directorate. Unfortunately, this request was only done directly to the governor. They are occupying the house illegally, as the council rejected their request for a number of reasons,” Shilongo said. He said the council spent a lot of money compensating the owner of the property and after the owner moved out the property was vandalised.
He said if the council gives the green light for learners to be accommodated in the house, it will first have to renovate the property and make it habitable.
“They were talking about accommodating 80 learners, which is a lot to be accommodated in one house. The erf where that house is located is also (zoned) general residential and not as a hostel. So the council has looked at all these things before passing a resolution,” Shilongo added.
He said since the school is accommodating learners illegally, with only the governor's verbal blessing, the regional council together with the directorate of education this month passed a resolution on the way forward. Shilongo however could not say what will happen.
ILENI NANDJATO
Ohangwena governor Usko Nghaamwa and his administration are on a collision course over his decision to accommodate the pupils without following proper procedures.
However, it is the N$6 million price tag of the property, purchased by the regional council through the ministry of urban and rural development, which has raised eyebrows. Ohangwena regional council chairperson Ericson Ndawanifa told Namibian Sun this week the property had been valuated, but he would not supply the evaluation figure as proof. “Discussions regarding that land and property took a long time. The property and the land were evaluated and the regional council approved the value. When he (Vatuva) was compensated, the money came from the ministry of urban and rural development and not the regional council,” Ndawanifa said.
Vatuva, who served as Oshana governor between 1992 and 1998, confirmed he was compensated “to pave way for development” after clinching a deal with the regional council.
“The house together with the mahangu field falls under settlement land. The council then compensated me for the whole piece of land,” Vatuva said.
He did not say how much he was paid. The former governor has since acquired a new property not far from his original homestead.
Collision course
The payment for the land came to light this week when Namibian Sun was covering the unfolding drama around the accommodation of the 118 pupils from Omungwelume Senior Secondary School in the regional council property.
Following his visit earlier this year, Nghaamwa ordered that learners be accommodated in a vacant house that the council had acquired last year.
The principal of the school George Nanghanda moved the learners into the house soon after Nghaamwa's visit.
However, this had been done without a council resolution leading to unfolding feud, which has included the council switching off water supply to the property.
The council does not support the decision to accommodate the 118 learners at the settlement and is finding ways to push the learners out.
At the beginning of the year, Nghaamwa, accompanied by Ongenga constituency councillor Sakaria Haimudi, visited various schools in the region, including Omungwelume, where it was revealed by management that more than 360 learners were suffering due to a lack of accommodation at the school.
The governor was informed that some learners were camping outdoors in the school premises, while others were living in makeshift structures within the settlement - a situation which made the educational environment very challenging.
Nghaamwa confirmed on Tuesday to Namibian Sun his decision to accommodate learners in a regional council house had created tension between him and his councillors.
“Soon after the learners occupied the house, the water got disconnected by the regional council. I spoke to the ministry of agriculture to provide them with water, which they did. This house was vacant since it was bought and since there is a need for learner accommodation, why can't we make use of it? Learners have already moved in and it is unfair if the regional council is chasing them out. All I am doing is to create a conducive environment for the learners,” Nghaamwa said. He said these learners are from far-flung places throughout his vast region and do not have family members in Omungwelume.
He said the house accommodates both male and female learners under the care of four supervisors, provided by the parents.
“Those learners will remain there until the end of the year, then we will find a way forward. Their future is in our hands and any decision we are making may impact their future in one way or the other. This is what it means meeting the government halfway,” he said.
Verbal undertaking
Nanghanda said before Nghaamwa visited the school they had already submitted a request to the regional council for them to accommodate learners in the house.
The council, however, did not respond to them “on time”. “When the governor visited our school and we briefed him on the situation, he made a decision that the learners be accommodated in the house. Since the house was vandalised by community members after the owner left, parents solicited money to have the premises renovated. Just after the learners moved in, a letter came in from the regional council that our request was rejected,” Nanghanda said.
He said the regional council does not have money to renovate the house.
Nanghanda said since the parents collected money, they wrote an appeal letter to the council. He said 118 learners are currently in the house and once their request is granted by the regional council, they will renovate currently unoccupied rooms, so more learners can be accommodated.
He said parents are willing to help and they are currently providing food and paying the caretakers. Nghaamwa always provides mahangu to the learners.
“The regional council is saying that we are occupying the house illegally and they disconnected water. The governor however made a provision for us to get water supply through the regional directorate of water affairs,” Nanghanda said. Education director Isak Hamatwi said Omungwelume is not the only school without a hostel in the region and it is the duty of parents to find accommodation their children.
“The Omungwelume situation is just similar to other non-boarding schools. Parents have to find accommodation for their children. We have similar situations at other schools in the region. Omungwelume is a day school and parents have to find their own accommodation,” Hamatwi said.
Not followed
Ohangwena chief regional officer Fillipus Shilongo said proper channels were not followed when the school requested the premises and this resulted in the council rejecting the request.
“The school falls under the directorate of education and if they want something they have to go through this directorate. Unfortunately, this request was only done directly to the governor. They are occupying the house illegally, as the council rejected their request for a number of reasons,” Shilongo said. He said the council spent a lot of money compensating the owner of the property and after the owner moved out the property was vandalised.
He said if the council gives the green light for learners to be accommodated in the house, it will first have to renovate the property and make it habitable.
“They were talking about accommodating 80 learners, which is a lot to be accommodated in one house. The erf where that house is located is also (zoned) general residential and not as a hostel. So the council has looked at all these things before passing a resolution,” Shilongo added.
He said since the school is accommodating learners illegally, with only the governor's verbal blessing, the regional council together with the directorate of education this month passed a resolution on the way forward. Shilongo however could not say what will happen.
ILENI NANDJATO
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