Bad smell shuts Otjinene school

STUDENTS at an Otjinene school are boycotting classes because of the unbearable stench from toilets which have not been flushed for over a month because of a lack of water.

The Gustav Kandjii Junior Secondary School has been without water since the beginning of January after NamWater cut its supply as a result of non-payment of outstanding water bills by the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing. Chairperson of the Students Representative Council at Gustav Kandjii Junior Secondary School, Ephraim Tjamuaha, said the learners had run out of patience and were left with no choice but to stay away from classrooms.”The unbearable stench is making it impossible for teaching and learning to take place in the classrooms surrounding our ablution facilities,” Tjamuaha said.He said teachers and students had now resorted to using the nearby bushes to answer the call of nature, while “unpleasant odours inside the classrooms make it unbearable to stay in”.Since the beginning of January, hostel staff at the secondary school have found it difficult to prepare meals because of swarms of flies which have been attracted by the stench.”Sanitation at the hostel leaves too much to be desired.Toilets have been blocked and rooms are dirty,” Tjamuaha said.He said students were now also forced to walk long distances to collect water.Director of Education in the Omaheke Region, Theophellus Kamupingene, blamed the water cut on the “inability of the Ministry responsible for paying the bills to do that”.Kamupingene said his office had, in the meantime, approached the Directorate of Rural Water Supply which dispatched relief water supplies yesterday.The Otjinene Junior Primary School and the Otjinene Senior Primary School have also been affected by the water cut.Chairperson of the Students Representative Council at Gustav Kandjii Junior Secondary School, Ephraim Tjamuaha, said the learners had run out of patience and were left with no choice but to stay away from classrooms. “The unbearable stench is making it impossible for teaching and learning to take place in the classrooms surrounding our ablution facilities,” Tjamuaha said. He said teachers and students had now resorted to using the nearby bushes to answer the call of nature, while “unpleasant odours inside the classrooms make it unbearable to stay in”. Since the beginning of January, hostel staff at the secondary school have found it difficult to prepare meals because of swarms of flies which have been attracted by the stench. “Sanitation at the hostel leaves too much to be desired. Toilets have been blocked and rooms are dirty,” Tjamuaha said. He said students were now also forced to walk long distances to collect water. Director of Education in the Omaheke Region, Theophellus Kamupingene, blamed the water cut on the “inability of the Ministry responsible for paying the bills to do that”. Kamupingene said his office had, in the meantime, approached the Directorate of Rural Water Supply which dispatched relief water supplies yesterday. The Otjinene Junior Primary School and the Otjinene Senior Primary School have also been affected by the water cut.