Report highlights grim conditions in marginalised communities

The loss of indigenous languages, a lack of national documents that leave many families without access to state assistance, no clean drinking water, extreme hunger, dilapidated schools – these are some of the myriad challenges facing poverty-stricken communities in ten regions of the country, according to a recently issued parliamentary report.These hardships often prevent children from attending school and lead girls as young as 12 to fall pregnant, with many only reaching grade eight before dropping out.This grim picture is detailed in a report by the parliamentary standing committee on constitutional and legal affairs on government interventions to improve conditions for marginalised communities.The committee, which tabled the report in parliament recently, visited Omusati, Kunene, Ohangwena, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa, Omaheke, Zambezi, Kavango East, and Kavango West in 2023.The focus was on the living conditions of the San, Ovatue, Ovatjimba and Ovazemba communities.In the Omusati Region, members of marginalised communities generally no longer know their indigenous languages, the parliamentary team reported. Moreover, many residents have been without national documentation for generations, which prevent access to state support. ChallengesAccording to the committee’s report, around 2 000 marginalised people in Onamatanga live without access to drinking water. Additionally, various government projects initiated over time remain incomplete.For learners, the nearest school is situated eight kilometres away in Omakange, which accommodates students up to grade seven. However, there is no road to the school and no hostel.The report highlights that accommodation for teachers and classrooms is insufficient, and the school lacks fencing to prevent human-animal conflict.Extreme hunger is a daily reality, and most residents have received little education, the committee found. In 2014, construction of teachers' housing began in Olumekugwa but was never completed. Many children in the area do not attend school because their parents have no income and cannot afford textbooks or stationery. Existing classrooms are in a dilapidated state, with preschool teachers volunteering their services to teach younger children, the report states.In the Kunene Region, a similar situation unfolds. The absence of hostels and transportation forces children to travel long distances to reach school. With limited job opportunities, many parents keep their children at home, unable to afford basic school supplies.Forgotten Members of the Ovazemba, Ovangambwe, and Ovahakahona communities are not recognised as marginalised, according to the report and these residents were unaware that government can offer assistance.At Otjijandjasemo, a borehole drilled by the Office of the Prime Minister has dried up.As a result, there is no water at the school, and the nearest water source is four kilometres away, the committee noted. A school at Seringkop farm accommodates 90% of learners from nearby marginalised communities, but the report states that it is in a dilapidated state, with toilets, geysers, and the kitchen not functioning.Additionally, the sewer system is blocked. Since 2019, there have been no textbooks, and parents cannot afford the hostel fees. A majority of young people here have dropped out, according to the report. The report highlights many more educational challenges, including in the Ohangwena Region at Okaukuejo, where communication with learners is hampered due to language barriers.At Tsintsabis, Chief Geelbooi Thameb of the ||G-Ai Khoen Traditional Authority told the committee: "San people have become slaves to fellow Namibians."The committee's report notes that the primary school at Tsintsabis lacks sufficient classrooms and cannot expand to offer grades 10 or 11, despite plans for such expansions in 2024 and 2025. Teachers do not have accommodation, and the seven male teachers and one female teacher are forced to share a shower and toilet. Similar conditions have been observed at Oshikoto Lake, Kuvukiland, Namutoni Gate, Ombili Farm, and Huigub Farm.NeglectedIn the Zambezi Region, discrimination by government officials against marginalised communities has been reported.The secondary school at Ndoro accommodates 600 learners. The early childhood development centre receives no food aid, as there is no transportation for this purpose. At Wayawaya, there is also no school feeding programme in place.At Omega 3, the Kwe told committee members that they feel severely neglected. Their school offers grades one to 11 but has no electricity, and the small hostel consists of damaged tents.In Mutjiku, the nearest school does not offer teaching in any San dialects, and the early childhood development centre holds classes under a tree. Teenage pregnancies have been reported among girls as young as 12, with most girls not advancing beyond grade eight.At Vergenoeg in the Omaheke Region, the report notes that children attend school in dirty clothes – there is no water for washing. In the Mururani Cap-and-Build settlement, only two people out of 100 households are employed.The school is located two km from the village. A bright spot is the one university student and one student at the Community Skills Development Centre (Cosdec) who have graduated, according to the report. No student from the school at Bravo in Kavango West has ever progressed to university, the committee found. Moreover, a school for the Du Plessis settlement in Omaheke since 2015 has been in the planning stages for ten years, but has never materialised.– augetto@nmh-hub.com.na

Report highlights grim conditions in marginalised communities

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Andreas Kambinda 1 Month Ago 10 March 2025

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Report highlights grim conditions in marginalised communities

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Andreas Kambinda 1 Month Ago 10 March 2025

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