The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts has raised serious concerns about the poor state of government houses, garages and some schools.

This follows the committee’s visit to Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Oshana and Omusati regions.

The committee conducted its investigations between 20 and 25 August 2023 to assess the condition of government properties.

During their visit, the committee members found that many government houses were in a bad state, with some being occupied by retired employees who do not want to leave or to pay rent.

They also discovered that several unoccupied houses were left to deteriorate and were at risk of vandalism.

“We were informed that the Ministry of Works and Transport had stopped repairing water leaks and renovating government houses. We also found that many occupants did not have lease agreements, which is against housing rules, and some tenants were not paying rent,” reads the report.

Another major concern is that the method used to evaluate government houses did not reflect their actual value, leading to them being sold at very low prices.

Furthermore, the committee was informed that tender documents often disappear within the ministry, with officials allegedly working with contractors to manipulate tender awards.

Visit

The report states that during a visit to house no.12 in Okahao in Omusati region, the committee was informed that it was constructed in the late 60s.

It was one of the houses allocated to the education ministry, occupied by two teachers.

“The ministry was solely responsible for the maintenance of houses under its care. The committee observed that the house was in a dilapidated state with big see-through cracks and broken windows panes,” reads the report.

It further reads that the officials from works ministry – the custodian of government assets – informed the committee that works inspectors in the regions have become salary collectors.

 Most of the maintenance work is done by some middlemen through the tendering process as per the Procurement Act.

The committee stated that they paid a visit to Shaanika ya Nashilongo Senior Secondary School, where they observed that both boys and girls’ hostel rooms were not fitted with doors.

Broken windows were covered with cardboard.

“Dining room ceilings were falling apart. The committee was informed that national examinations are taken/administered in the dining hall.

“At the newly constructed girls’ hostel, pupils were sleeping on the floor on mattresses bought by parents, which will be forfeited to the government after completion of school,” the lawmakers found.

There were also no handymen at the facility, reads the report.

Mobile

The committee visited several government houses, including caravans or mobile houses.

Key findings were that the caravans/mobile houses have reached their life span, are dilapidated and no longer fit for human habitation, and should therefore be demolished.

The Ondangwa government garage had 76 vehicles parked for more than six months, waiting for minor to major repairs, ranging from batteries, mirrors and tyres.

During a visit to the Ponhofi Secondary School, infrastructure or facilities, such as toilets are under extreme pressure. 

The school hostel is not big enough to accommodate everybody. 

Most students reside outside the school, which causes societal problems.“The roofing of these accommodation facilities is made of asbestos, which poses health hazards, such as lung diseases and tissue damage,” said the reports.

Neglect

The committee mentioned in the report that the government properties are not being properly maintained and are deteriorating rapidly.

It also found that there is no proper record-keeping to track the legal occupants, which violates the official accommodation rules.

To address these issues, the committee made several recommendations that the Ministry of Works and Transport should conduct regular inspections of government properties to ensure housing rules are followed.

They have recommended  that a detailed register of all government assets in the regions should be compiled.

Moreover, the government should consider selling or auctioning off some of the houses.

-vkaapanda@nepc.com.na