More than 1 400 pupils, 50 teachers and 30 institutional workers at IK Tjimuhiva Combined School in the Omusati region have been forced to go without water to drink, flush toilets and shower.
This is after the school’s only borehole broke down about three weeks ago, two sources at the school told The Namibian yesterday.
School principal Philipus Linus refused to comment on the matter, saying he cannot share information about the school without the consent of the Omusati director of education, arts and culture.
“We have not had water since 13 September, when we came from the break.
The whole school is stinking of human waste because there is no water. Pupils are forced to relieve themselves in the bushes in the schoolyard,” said one source.
The school caters for pre-primary to Grade 11 pupils, with the majority being hostel pupils.
The other source, a teacher at the school, said they now rely on a community borehole.
The teacher spoke to The Namibian on condition of anonymity as teachers are unauthorised to speak to the media.
The teacher said pupils, including those as young as six, get water from the community borehole situated about 1km from the school.
“Sometimes they get water from there up to midnight.”
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform reportedly attempted to drill two boreholes to supplement the existing one three months ago, but the work has not been completed.
PRECIOUS LIQUID … Some parts of the northern regions struggle to access drinking water, a scenario that is now affecting pupils in schools. Unicef says children who attend schools with clean, drinkable water and reliable sanitation facilities are healthier, perform better in school and live in a safer environment.
“They just dug trenches and left them open. They have not returned until today. We informed the office of the director of education to send a water tank, and they said we are not the only thirsty ones,” a source said.
The source said last Thursday, deputy executive director of water affairs Elijah Ngurare, allegedly visited the school and promised to have the matter resolved the next day. However, this did not happen.
Omusati education director Paulus Kashiimbi said he was in a meeting when The Namibian contacted him for comment yesterday.
Ministry Spokesperson Jona Musheko said the ministry initially drilled a borehole at the school site and installed a pump to ensure reliable water supply.
“Unfortunately, after several months, the pump sustained damage. We promptly responded by installing a second pump, which, as of this month, has also reported a malfunction,” he said.
He noted that the ministry is currently procuring a third pump.
“To prevent further issues, we are actively consulting with the Northern Regional Electricity Distributor to assess the entire pumping system and ensure the necessary adjustments are made before the new pump is installed.
This investigation will help us avoid future complications with the new pump that could affect the water supply,” he said.
The ministry has kept the regional office of the education ministry informed of their actions and progress on resolving the matter.
“We sincerely apologise to the pupils, teachers and the wider community for the inconvenience this situation has caused. The ministry remains committed to addressing this issue swiftly and effectively,” Musheko said.
In February, pupils were sent home due to a critical water shortage at the school, which led to a two-week closure.
Musheko says a team from the ministry visited the school and found that some items are suspected to have been stolen from the borehole.
“That prompted the technical team to get back to the office and amend the procurement of the new pump,” he says.
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