Incomplete Nkurenkuru VTC irks student body
Construction at the Nkurenkuru Vocational Training Centre (VTC) has come to a halt, with a student body arguing that this is depriving the Kavango West youth of access to education.
The National African Students' Association (NASA) has expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of progress at the centre, which was part of a N$35 million tender awarded to Neu Olulya Trading in 2020 and was envisioned to be completed by September.
However, it appears the contractor failed to deliver, which led to the contract being terminated by the Namibia Training Authority (NTA).
When Namibian Sun recently visited the site, some buildings were at roof level while others were still just planned foundations.
Building materials such as cement bags were also damaged - something many who recently visited the site viewed as a waste of funds.
NASA acting president Paulus Vihemba echoed the student body’s disappointment, adding that the facility could – once completed - benefit a number of young people from the region, which is known to be underdeveloped and grapples with high youth unemployment.
Development delayed
“VTCs are the biggest development a region can achieve as it is of high essentiality to Namibian children and youths who would gain knowledge and skills and use them to improve their living standard,” he argued.
“The benefit of a VTC encroaches on escalating and enhancing the economy, infrastructure development and social progression of the region and the country at large in an array of ways.
“If the tendency of abandoning and delaying national and regional capital projects will continue being overlooked, it will perambulate and escalate into a societal development menace. Academic development delayed is academic development denied,” Vihemba said.
Demands
NASA demanded that a tender to continue the outstanding work on the project be awarded without any further delay.
The student body further threatened that if it continues to observe a delay on the project, members will take drastic measures to get their voices heard.
Meanwhile, Kavango West governor Sirkka Ausiku, during her recent state of the region address, also expressed disappointment regarding the issue.
“The construction of the Nkurenkuru VTC commenced in 2020; however, the region is disappointed to learn that the contractor abandoned the site.
"The region learnt from the NTA that the tender will be re-advertised and appeals for the speedy finalisation of this process,” Ausiku added.
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The National African Students' Association (NASA) has expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of progress at the centre, which was part of a N$35 million tender awarded to Neu Olulya Trading in 2020 and was envisioned to be completed by September.
However, it appears the contractor failed to deliver, which led to the contract being terminated by the Namibia Training Authority (NTA).
When Namibian Sun recently visited the site, some buildings were at roof level while others were still just planned foundations.
Building materials such as cement bags were also damaged - something many who recently visited the site viewed as a waste of funds.
NASA acting president Paulus Vihemba echoed the student body’s disappointment, adding that the facility could – once completed - benefit a number of young people from the region, which is known to be underdeveloped and grapples with high youth unemployment.
Development delayed
“VTCs are the biggest development a region can achieve as it is of high essentiality to Namibian children and youths who would gain knowledge and skills and use them to improve their living standard,” he argued.
“The benefit of a VTC encroaches on escalating and enhancing the economy, infrastructure development and social progression of the region and the country at large in an array of ways.
“If the tendency of abandoning and delaying national and regional capital projects will continue being overlooked, it will perambulate and escalate into a societal development menace. Academic development delayed is academic development denied,” Vihemba said.
Demands
NASA demanded that a tender to continue the outstanding work on the project be awarded without any further delay.
The student body further threatened that if it continues to observe a delay on the project, members will take drastic measures to get their voices heard.
Meanwhile, Kavango West governor Sirkka Ausiku, during her recent state of the region address, also expressed disappointment regarding the issue.
“The construction of the Nkurenkuru VTC commenced in 2020; however, the region is disappointed to learn that the contractor abandoned the site.
"The region learnt from the NTA that the tender will be re-advertised and appeals for the speedy finalisation of this process,” Ausiku added.
[email protected]
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