Stalled school springs to life
There is hope yet for the learners currently going to school in dilapidated structures as a contractor has been appointed to complete the new school.
The Oshana Regional Council has appointed a contractor complete an Ongwediva school project that has stood idle for years, as pupils suffered indignity and shame.
The N$39-million project of constructing new premises for the Ongwediva Junior Secondary School was first spearheaded by the education ministry's Windhoek head office and was envisioned to have been completed by March 2014.
Much of the work was completed by the initial contractor, WDL and Uukumwe Construction, however, the project was abandoned and has been in limbo for years.
The outstanding work includes in the installation of a sewerage system, minor problems with classrooms and an incomplete school hall.
WDL and Uukumwe's contract was terminated in 2016, amid these issues.
Meanwhile, the school currently rents dilapidated church buildings where learners and teachers endure harsh conditions of classrooms with broken windows, no electricity, damaged ceilings looking like they about to fall down and roofs that leak during the rainy season.
This has been a concern for years, with stakeholders complaining to the media about the non-conducive environment at the school.
However, hope was restored late last year when the project was decentralised and became a responsibility of the Oshana regional education directorate, through the regional council.
The remaining construction works were determined and an open tender was advertised.
On 24 February, the site was handed over to the successful bidder, James and Young Construction, which is in a joint venture with Vindu CC.
According to acting Oshana regional education director, Bernadette Mukulu-Mojekwu, the work will be completed in two phases.
Mukulu-Mojekwu said the contractor is first expected to complete the classrooms and the sewerage system by June and the other work will be completed by October.
“We are expecting that hopefully the classrooms and the sewerage system will be completed by June and we get the keys, so that the school can move from their old premises to the new premises.
“As for the hall, it is not a priority like the classrooms, and therefore the directorate thought the contractor can focus on the hall after the classrooms are completed and sewerage system is installed,” Mukulu-Mojekwu said.
The new school premises will comprise of four classroom blocks, a physics and biology laboratory, a home economics workshop, an administration block, a principal's house and two teacher houses.
KENYA KAMBOWE
The N$39-million project of constructing new premises for the Ongwediva Junior Secondary School was first spearheaded by the education ministry's Windhoek head office and was envisioned to have been completed by March 2014.
Much of the work was completed by the initial contractor, WDL and Uukumwe Construction, however, the project was abandoned and has been in limbo for years.
The outstanding work includes in the installation of a sewerage system, minor problems with classrooms and an incomplete school hall.
WDL and Uukumwe's contract was terminated in 2016, amid these issues.
Meanwhile, the school currently rents dilapidated church buildings where learners and teachers endure harsh conditions of classrooms with broken windows, no electricity, damaged ceilings looking like they about to fall down and roofs that leak during the rainy season.
This has been a concern for years, with stakeholders complaining to the media about the non-conducive environment at the school.
However, hope was restored late last year when the project was decentralised and became a responsibility of the Oshana regional education directorate, through the regional council.
The remaining construction works were determined and an open tender was advertised.
On 24 February, the site was handed over to the successful bidder, James and Young Construction, which is in a joint venture with Vindu CC.
According to acting Oshana regional education director, Bernadette Mukulu-Mojekwu, the work will be completed in two phases.
Mukulu-Mojekwu said the contractor is first expected to complete the classrooms and the sewerage system by June and the other work will be completed by October.
“We are expecting that hopefully the classrooms and the sewerage system will be completed by June and we get the keys, so that the school can move from their old premises to the new premises.
“As for the hall, it is not a priority like the classrooms, and therefore the directorate thought the contractor can focus on the hall after the classrooms are completed and sewerage system is installed,” Mukulu-Mojekwu said.
The new school premises will comprise of four classroom blocks, a physics and biology laboratory, a home economics workshop, an administration block, a principal's house and two teacher houses.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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