ONGWEDIVA – Learners of the Ohehongo Combined School eight kilometres from Eenhana in the Ohangwena Region have been without toilets for three months.
This after the old toilet and ablution facilities were demolished in June compelling learners to relieve themselves in bushes near the school entrance.
According to those in the know, the old ablution facilities that catered for teachers and learners were too old with black mambas holed up in the latrines putting the lives of learners in danger at the school.
As a result the school was forced to suspend lessons for two days while the school management resolved the issue and decided to demolish the toilets.
“An announcement was made in the local media that lessons had been suspended and parents were advised not to send their children to school,” a reliable source at the school informed New Era.
“There were a lot of snakes in those toilets. If you went in and checked through the toilet depositing hole you would see them. They were very big snakes, so when the nature conservation people came they called in a bulldozer to destroy the toilets,” revealed the concerned source.
Since the pit latrines were demolished the about 700 learners have used the bushes near the school entrance when nature calls.
Those in the know allege the current situation poses a serious health hazard in the school community as the smell had become unbearable.
Sources say the situation disrupts lessons as some learners do not return to continue with the rest of the lessons when they go to the bushes.
To add salt to the wound, it is alleged the Grade 10 learners camping at the school for their national examinations had no temporary toilets arranged for them.
These learners made use of the bushes at night with the assistance of members of the Women and Men Network who were always in close proximity.
In the meantime, the school has two corrugated iron toilets which are used only by teachers.
The Deputy Director of Education in Ohangwena Region Isack Hamatwi confirmed the toilets were demolished, but related that the situation is a bit unfortunate because the region had made an effort to provide temporary toilets to the school.
Hamatwi could however not dwell on who is using the temporary toilets, but he said the regional authorities would look into the matter and see how best they can advise the school on the situation that has unfolded.
“We will follow up the matter and see how best we can advise the school,” Hamatwi told New Era.
He said at the moment the region could only provide temporary toilets, but he assured that the school would receive priority for next year’s developmental projects.