Allexer Namundjembo
Affirmative Repositioning (AR) member of parliament George Kambala has called on the minister of education Sanet Steenkamp to take action against the Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek (DHPS) following recent racial incidents that sparked national outrage.
In a notice of question tabled in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Kambala called on the minister to consider deregistering the school.
Section 79(1)(a) of the 2020 Basic Education Act empowers the minister to revoke a private school’s registration if it engages in racial, ethnic or religious discrimination.
“It is unacceptable that an educational institution operating under Namibian law continues to be associated with racial hatred and division,” Kambala said.
“The minister must explain why DHPS should continue operating under a Namibian licence while allegedly undermining the values of unity and equality enshrined in our Constitution.”
He also questioned whether the minister would invoke Section 80(1) of the same act, which permits the closure of a private school if it is managed in a way that harms learners’ welfare or threatens public order and good governance.
Kambala’s statement comes after a DHPS pupil alongside a friend dressed in racist costumes at a private Halloween party.
DHPS issued an apology after the incident, condemning all forms of discrimination and reaffirming its commitment to creating a respectful and inclusive learning environment.
The DHPS pupil submitted a written apology admitting that his actions were discriminatory, while the parents of the pupils also apologised and condemned racism.
Last week, the ministry ordered the learners to perform community service as a form of punishment.
At that time, education executive director Erastus Haitengela said a report would be finalised on the matter and outline the disciplinary measures and a restorative process that involved the pupils and their families.
New allegations of racism emerged this week at DHPS. Some black learners claimed they continue to face racist behaviour from their peers and accused the school of downplaying the incidents.
The DHPS has faced previous allegations of racism. In 2020, the school was investigated after similar incidents.
