Allexer Namundjembo
As local authority elections draw near, new discussions about the long-delayed Omuthiya Vocational Training Centre (VTC) have caused mixed feelings among residents.
This follows a post by the Omuthiya Town Council on its official Facebook page announcing that a team from the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) visited the site earmarked for the project.
The council stated that construction of the centre is expected to begin soon to help reduce the strain on vocational training opportunities in the Oshikoto region.
During the visit, Omuthiya Town Council chief executive officer Petrus Shuuya noted that vocational training centres are essential for developing practical skills, enhancing employability and encouraging self-employment among young people.
However, some residents question the timing of the announcement, suggesting it could be politically motivated.
President of the Omuthiya People’s Association (OPA) and local authority election candidate, Moses Alfeus, said he doubts the motives behind the renewed attention to the project.
“When the establishment of the Omuthiya Vocational Training Centre came on the table, we as residents were happy,” Alfeus said.
“But years passed with no one talking about it. Now suddenly, less than a month before elections, it is being brought up again. One wonders if this is genuine or just a campaign mechanism to blind the electorate.”
Alfeus said the project was meant to provide access to education for the youth of Oshikoto and to stimulate employment and business in the town.
“It was supposed to be an opportunity for employment and a business booster. Had the vocational training centre been established long ago, by now our youth would have started their studies already. Those from income-generating families are able to go around the country to seek study opportunities, but those from poor families are forced to remain at home due to financial limits,” he said.
He accused local leaders of reviving dormant projects to win votes instead of addressing long-standing community challenges.
“I believe that this is a political campaign by the current leadership, fooling the voters for political gain. It is shameful that we have a town surrounded by bush-encroached land while our people are landless,” he said.
Alfeus also criticised the lack of affordable business infrastructure in Omuthiya, saying residents are forced to rent “unhygienic structures at very high rent rates”.
“Our leaders failed to address such small but critical challenges. Now they talk about the VTC, which has been under the carpet for many years, only to be mentioned before elections when it is about to rain. Who is fooling whom?”
The Omuthiya VTC was first proposed several years ago as part of the government’s plan to expand access to vocational education and improve technical training in the Oshikoto region.
Despite its potential, the project saw little progress until now.
In 2017, the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) reaffirmed its plan to establish vocational training centres in all 14 regions as part of its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Transformation and Expansion Strategy.
During that period, NTA indicated that the Omuthiya VTC was among the proposed projects, along with centres for Nkurenkuru and Khorixas.
