ONGWEDIVA – Teachers and staff members at Hashiyana Primary School in Ongwediva, Oshana region, live in fear after an oil-like substance was allegedly sprinkled inside and outside the office of the school principal.
The substance was allegedly discovered on Saturday by the security guard, who was on duty that weekend.
He then brought it to the attention of the staff on Monday, and they held a meeting on Tuesday.
During the meeting, which was attended by the staff and the schoolboard chairperson, the security guard stated he only discovered the stains outside the office a few moments after the temporarily moved school principal, Amon Ndeitwa, visited the premises.
“The principal is not allowed to step foot on the premises until the conflict he is entangled in with other teachers in is solved, but he was seen on the school premises on Saturday evening with another gentleman. A few moments after they left, he (security guard) saw stains of oil on the wall and on the door stoop, which were not there before they arrived on the premises, and that can be attested by the security guard” said one of the teachers.
According to a group of teachers at the school, who asked not to be named, they suspect it to be a “ritual practice”. “We are in living in fear and are worried because what is the rationale behind those oil stains? What was the principal doing at school on Saturday evening if he was told not to? He was already a threat to us, and this matter has just gotten us concerned,” said one of the teachers.
Earlier this year, teachers at the school submitted a petition to the Oshana education regional director, demanding the removal of Ndeitwa. In that letter, they complained of autocracy, inhumanity and discrimination.
The letter, dated 4 November 2021, seen by New Era, titled ‘Lack of humanity at Hashiyana Primary School’ states:
“We have noticed forms of emotional violence from our supervisor, such as intimidation (which is a major offence), emotional torture and inhumanity. And according to the Education Act 2001, Article 8 says: No persons shall be subject to torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,” some of the issues stated in the letter.
The matter has then attracted an investigation by the Namibia National Teachers Union (NANTU). It is reported that Ndeitwa also had a heated argument with a head of department on the school premises, which prompted the directorate to move him to the Teachers Resource Centre.
“Even when we opened the office, we saw stains inside the office and on some books, and we can only suspect him because he was seen in the office over the weekend, and they were only discovered on Monday when we came to school,” she said.
The teachers are pleading to the education directorate to look into this matter.
“We want the director to interrogate him and find out what he was doing at school, despite being warned not to and also to find out the rationale behind the oil he sprinkled on the walls,” another teacher said. The teachers also complained of the intimidation by another teacher, who is said to be a sister to Ndeitwa, and another staff member, who is Ndeitwa’s friend. “We do not have peace anymore because they keep intimidating the current acting principal – and during the previous briefing, when we were discussing the oil issue, they interrupted the meeting and started swearing and calling us witches,” he said.
Approached for a comment, Ndeitwa said he was told that the stains were only seen on Tuesday, but on Monday, there were people in the office.
“They must question those who were in the office on Monday. I don’t know about it,” he said.
He, however, refused to comment on allegations of him being on the school premises on Saturday evening.
“I am not aware of that,” he said.
Current acting principal Agnes Nghipondoka refused to comment on the matter.
Nantu’s secretary general Loide Shaanika could not give a comment, as she was in a meeting at the time of going to print.
Education director in the Oshana region Hileni Amukana’s phone went unanswered.