WINDHOEK- Khomas Regional Education Director, Gerard Vries, says the government and the City of Windhoek are working around the clock to ensure that disconnected water and power supplies to nine schools in Windhoek are restored.
This follows a Confidante article that the City of Windhoek, this week, threatened to disconnect the water supply to nine schools in Windhoek because of unpaid bills amounting to over N$55 million.
The huge debts date back as far as two years ago and this led the City of Windhoek to cut water and power at these schools on Wednesday.
The affected schools are Auas Primary School, Tobias Hainyeko Primary School, Concordia College, A. Shipena Secondary School, Windhoek High School, Windhoek Technical School, Dagbreek and Namibia Primary School.
A teacher at Concordia College, who spoke to New Era yesterday, confirmed that municipal officials visited the school on Wednesday to cut off their power supply. However, she said they could not find the electricity main box, but they promised to return so that they could disconnect it.
Asked on the water situation, she said the water has also not been disconnected yet, and that learners in the hostel are doing well.
In January, the Khomas education directorate appealed to the City of Windhoek not to cut water and electricity supply to 123 public schools due to overdue debts.
In an interview yesterday, Vries confirmed that some of these nine schools have both water and power disconnected, while others have either one of the two cut.
“Yes, I am aware of the issue. We are going to have a meeting during the course of the day with City of Windhoek to see how we can find a way to move forward and rectify the matter,” he confirmed.
Since water and power disconnections started, some schools have begun to send learners, who reside in the hostels home, due to the inconvenience caused, New Era has learnt.
Schools have been unable to provide services to learners such as food, due to lack of water and power.
Although, Vries confirmed that the issue of power and water disconnections would negatively affect the hostels, he denied that learners, many of whom are busy with their exams, have been sent home because of these disruptions.
“It will impact the hostels but we are trying to reach a resolution today during a meeting. We have arranged to cook elsewhere and supply food to these schools. The food will be cooked at other school hostels and then supplied to these affected schools. No learner was sent home, if there are learners sent home, then it is done without our authorisation,” he said.