Schools owe City N$32m
Although there is no confirmation as yet that a payment was in fact made, the education ministry has struck a deal with the City to settle N$15 million in water and electricity arrears owed by Windhoek schools.
The education ministry, which owes more than N$32.5 million in unpaid water and power bills to the City of Windhoek, has agreed to pay N$15 million to avoid service cuts at schools.
The payment was expected to be finalised on Friday, although the City did not confirm receipt late on Friday. City spokesperson Harold Akwenye last week confirmed that N$32 523 562.29 is owed by the education ministry in unpaid utility bills and that the last payment, of around N$8.9 million, was paid in March this year.
“It only covered half of what was in arrears, in as much as smaller payments have been paid, but barely covers their monthly account which is plus/minus N$7 million.”
Akwenye told Namibian Sun said none of the schools had been disconnected “as the education ministry intervened”.
Nevertheless, unless a payment was received to significantly lower the amount in arrears, Akwenye said the City “is targeting to disconnect all Windhoek schools within 30 days and more for outstanding balances, but the disconnection is scheduled over a period of a week”.
Last week Namibian Sun reported that so far three schools, Windhoek High School, Academia Secondary School and Concordia College have been served with suspension notices, but that no schools have so far experienced power and water cuts.
Records provided by the City of Windhoek, show that Academia Secondary School has an outstanding debt, stretching back more than four months, of more than N$1.2 million.
The records indicate that Windhoek High School's utility bill stands at more than N$1.6 million, and that the Concordia account is in arrears by more than N$2 million.
Although the City did not confirm if any other schools have been served with disconnection notices, the records indicate that Augustineum Secondary School owes N$2.8 million in unpaid water bills.
The records show the Eros Primary School is in arrears by over N$1.1 million, A. Shipena Secondary School by over N$1 million and Jan Mohr Secondary School by more than N$1.3 million. Most schools are 120 days or more in arrears, the records provided by the City show.
Only a few schools are up to date with payments, including Auas Primary School, Khomasdal Primary and David Bezuidenhout Secondary School, among a few others.
Last week Khomas regional education director Gerard Norman Vries confirmed that a “substantial amount” was owed to the City.
He however, stressed the threat to disconnect the schools was badly timed and could impact examinations. “It must be noted further that the insinuation of disconnection of water and electricity supplies to public schools are actioned at an inopportune time, when learners in public schools in Khomas Region are busy with grade 9 national semi-external examinations and grade 8 and 11 Khomas regional examinations. The grade 7 Khomas regional examinations are due to commence on Monday, 12 November.”
Vries further explained the payment schedule to the City of Windhoek “is impacted by the release of payment tranches from ministry of finance via the education, arts and culture ministry to the Khomas regional council, based upon availability of funds.”
He underlined that the directorate of education, arts and culture at the Khomas regional council “typically actions payments to its creditors within three to five days from the date of receipt of payment tranches from the finance ministry, via the education, arts and culture ministry”.
Vries confirmed that in order to halt the water and power cuts, a tranche payment was received from the finance ministry via the education ministry to the Khomas regional council education directorate “to defray some of the accumulated arrears” and that electronic transfers were being processed to be concluded by Friday last week.
On Friday, neither the ministry nor City of Windhoek could yet confirm whether a payment had been received. Several attempts to request comment from the finance ministry on the issue of unpaid utility bills at Windhoek schools were unsuccessful.
JANA-MARI SMITH
The payment was expected to be finalised on Friday, although the City did not confirm receipt late on Friday. City spokesperson Harold Akwenye last week confirmed that N$32 523 562.29 is owed by the education ministry in unpaid utility bills and that the last payment, of around N$8.9 million, was paid in March this year.
“It only covered half of what was in arrears, in as much as smaller payments have been paid, but barely covers their monthly account which is plus/minus N$7 million.”
Akwenye told Namibian Sun said none of the schools had been disconnected “as the education ministry intervened”.
Nevertheless, unless a payment was received to significantly lower the amount in arrears, Akwenye said the City “is targeting to disconnect all Windhoek schools within 30 days and more for outstanding balances, but the disconnection is scheduled over a period of a week”.
Last week Namibian Sun reported that so far three schools, Windhoek High School, Academia Secondary School and Concordia College have been served with suspension notices, but that no schools have so far experienced power and water cuts.
Records provided by the City of Windhoek, show that Academia Secondary School has an outstanding debt, stretching back more than four months, of more than N$1.2 million.
The records indicate that Windhoek High School's utility bill stands at more than N$1.6 million, and that the Concordia account is in arrears by more than N$2 million.
Although the City did not confirm if any other schools have been served with disconnection notices, the records indicate that Augustineum Secondary School owes N$2.8 million in unpaid water bills.
The records show the Eros Primary School is in arrears by over N$1.1 million, A. Shipena Secondary School by over N$1 million and Jan Mohr Secondary School by more than N$1.3 million. Most schools are 120 days or more in arrears, the records provided by the City show.
Only a few schools are up to date with payments, including Auas Primary School, Khomasdal Primary and David Bezuidenhout Secondary School, among a few others.
Last week Khomas regional education director Gerard Norman Vries confirmed that a “substantial amount” was owed to the City.
He however, stressed the threat to disconnect the schools was badly timed and could impact examinations. “It must be noted further that the insinuation of disconnection of water and electricity supplies to public schools are actioned at an inopportune time, when learners in public schools in Khomas Region are busy with grade 9 national semi-external examinations and grade 8 and 11 Khomas regional examinations. The grade 7 Khomas regional examinations are due to commence on Monday, 12 November.”
Vries further explained the payment schedule to the City of Windhoek “is impacted by the release of payment tranches from ministry of finance via the education, arts and culture ministry to the Khomas regional council, based upon availability of funds.”
He underlined that the directorate of education, arts and culture at the Khomas regional council “typically actions payments to its creditors within three to five days from the date of receipt of payment tranches from the finance ministry, via the education, arts and culture ministry”.
Vries confirmed that in order to halt the water and power cuts, a tranche payment was received from the finance ministry via the education ministry to the Khomas regional council education directorate “to defray some of the accumulated arrears” and that electronic transfers were being processed to be concluded by Friday last week.
On Friday, neither the ministry nor City of Windhoek could yet confirm whether a payment had been received. Several attempts to request comment from the finance ministry on the issue of unpaid utility bills at Windhoek schools were unsuccessful.
JANA-MARI SMITH
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