Justicia Shipena
The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture says most of its capital projects for the 2025/26 financial year are progressing as planned.
Its deputy minister, Dino Ballotti, gave an update on projects by the ministry on Thursday.
Ballotti said the country’s school infrastructure is holding up, but more work still needs to be done.
He said the ministry is continuing with its national decongestion plan to reduce overcrowding in schools.
Ballotti added that there are currently 29 large capital projects underway across the country. Every region has at least one major project, while regions such as Karas, Erongo, Kavango West, Khomas and Ohangwena have up to three projects each.
He reported that 300 classrooms are being built, with the highest number in Ohangwena, followed by Otjozondjupa and Erongo. A further 168 pre-primary classrooms are under construction across all 14 regions.
“With respect to the decongestion projects, there is currently one in Erongo, 6 in Kavango East, 2 in Khomas and 1 in both Zambezi and Otjozondjupa. This totals 508 capital projects across all 14 of our regions for budget vote 40 for this financial year,” he said.
Ballotti said construction works at Oshikunde Combined School, Otjomuise Primary School and Kamanjab Resource School are progressing at a satisfactory speed and remain on schedule for near completion.
He also said construction of new pre-primary classrooms, classrooms and other facilities at existing schools remains on track, with most projects expected to be completed by June 2026.
He acknowledged slow progress at Mix Primary School in Khomas, Tubusis Primary School in the Daures constituency and new hostel facilities at Onkumbula Combined School in Oshikoto.
“Targeted monitoring and corrective measures are being applied to address the delays or non-performance of the contractors,” Ballotti said.
Land disputes have delayed projects at Marmer and Oranjemund.
“It is inconceivable that in 2026, nearly 36 years post our struggle for independence, we are still negotiating with various local authorities for land to build public schools,” he said.
“This cannot be accepted, and I will personally name and shame any local authority which is demanding a fee for land where the intention is to build schools to cater for their very own youth constituents,” Ballotti added.
He also addressed concerns about the new high school under construction in Henties Bay.
“I must confess that I was not best pleased with the speed of build, where the town’s only public school, namely Kamwandi Combined School, remains oversubscribed,” he said.
He later reported improvement, saying that as of 18 February, the new school “is at roof height, and we keep pushing to complete and hand over soonest”. ”.
Ballotti said progress has also been recorded on community hostels and learning and development centres where the Namibia Training Authority and the Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology have been contracted.
“Most sites are at advanced construction stages and are expected to reach practical completion by May 2026,” he said.
Seven projects are under adjudication through the Central Procurement Board of Namibia. These include new schools at Epembe, Havana and Ehangano; renovations at Mureti Secondary School and new hostel facilities at Drimiopsis Primary School, Ashipala Secondary School and Grootfontein Secondary School.
Two additional projects, hostel facilities at Onamutai and a new Oshakati South Primary School, are at the documentation stage and are expected to be submitted for bid invitation by the end of March 2026.
