Following Learner Hospitalisations, KWRC Acts to Restore Safety at Katjinakatji Combined School
By TUW
The Kavango West Regional Council (KWRC) has taken urgent steps to address serious infrastructure and health challenges at Katjinakatji Combined School following the recent hospitalisation of several learners.
KWRC Chief Regional Officer, Matheus Singambwe, convened an emergency meeting with his management team after personally inspecting the school last week. The visit came in the wake of reports that learners fell ill after consuming spoiled bread, raising serious concerns about safety and living conditions at the institution.
During the inspection, Singambwe was briefed on multiple challenges affecting both learners and staff. These include the absence of a proper cooling system, persistent water shortages—particularly during power outages—which force learners to use nearby bushes for sanitation. In addition, kitchen staff are required to prepare meals for more than 400 learners using firewood due to the lack of adequate cooking facilities.
Further concerns highlighted include overflowing septic tanks, the absence of sinks in the dining hall and kitchen, and a severe shortage of beds and mattresses. The school hostel is currently accommodating approximately 414 learners, far exceeding its intended capacity of 336, resulting in overcrowded and unsafe living conditions.
Addressing his management team, Singambwe stressed that learners should never be exposed to such conditions and called for immediate action. He emphasized that delays would not be tolerated and that funding constraints should not be used as an excuse.
“No parent would willingly send their child to a school where their life is at risk. These are critical issues that require urgent intervention. I want these problems resolved immediately,” Singambwe said.
As part of short-term interventions, the management team has been instructed to procure two 10,000-litre water tanks for the boys’ and girls’ hostels, install sinks and a cooling unit in the dining hall and kitchen, and supply additional mattresses to ease hostel congestion.
The Kavango West Regional Council has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring safe, dignified, and healthy learning environments for all learners in the region.
