Clemans Miyanicwe
Khorixas
Fourteen members of the Namibian police recently confiscated weapons from a local school, including 19 knives, seven sticks, one axe, four sharpened scissors, seven screwdrivers, ten sharpened irons, as well as dozens of cellphones, which were handed to the school authorities.
Khorixas station commander Hiskia Nuuyoma warned learners to desist from bringing weapons onto the school premises. “Be warned that pupils are to desist from possessing dangerous objects or weapons on school premises,” Nuuyoma said.
Most of the weapons were confiscated from Braunfels Agricultural High School, which was previously a boys school. The school is situated more than 20 kilometers outside Khorixas.
The second highest number of confiscations was made at Welwitschia Junior Secondary School at Khorixas, while at the historic Cornelius Goreseb High School the police did not search the hostel premises, but only warned the boarders.
Principal of Welwitschia Junior Secondary School Vaino Shikeshele confirmed that a few knives were confiscated from his school’s hostel dwellers, as well as cellphones. “We observe dangerous objects which were at our hostel, but mostly cellphones were taken. This is a serious concern,” Shikeshele said.
The school had consulted Inspector Nuuyoma least year to conduct a search for weapons at the hostel. Shikeshele remarked that the search operation should not be a once-off event, but said hostel supervisors can also do it daily, as it must be a continuous exercise.
According to him, pupils at Welwitchia Junior Secondary School tend to report to the school authorities if there are learners with weapons on the premises and the items are then normally confiscated.
One concerned parent at the town told New Era that the school hostels where children are supposed to be safe have nowadays become scary places to send one’s child to.