Windhoek
Namibian staff working at the Loudima Institute for Technical and Vocational Training in the Republic of Congo have demanded that government evacuate them from that country, citing security fears as the primary reason.
The demands are contained in a strongly-worded letter addressed to the Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation, Dr Itah Kandjii-Murangi, dated January 14, 2016.
“We would like to inform you that we (Loudima Institute staff members) are coming back,” reads part of the letter signed by 14 Namibians working there. “On 12 January 2016 around 10h00 the chief administration officer (Namibian) was brutally assaulted by Congolese police officers and almost arrested for unknown reasons,” they said in the letter.
“This caused fear amongst us, because police officers fired two gunshots at us (Namibian staff and students). We feel that our lives are in danger and we demand to be evacuated. We do not feel safe anymore,” they said.
The letter was signed by a number of Namibians employed at the institute, which includes heads of departments, teachers, instructors, the chief matron, private secretary to the deputy director, and the institute’s public relations officer.
The staff further indicated that last week’s shooting incident on the premises of the institute was the final straw. The concerned staff members also told the higher education minister that the conditions in which they live at the Loudima Institute contravenes the Namibian Labour Act, which calls for the wellbeing of employees.
Teachers, who spoke to New Era in confidence, said they are prepared to return to Namibia at any time. “We want to leave as soon as possible, but we do not want to leave the children here under these conditions,” said one of the staff members who asked not to be named.
Kandjii-Murangi could not comment on the matter when contacted yesterday. Commenting on the Loudima saga on NBC News on Friday, Kandjii-Murangi reportedly said the situation is not as bad as reported. She said the students’ passports were confiscated to safeguard their documents.
The Loudima crisis comes at a time when Namibia looks to bolster its vocational training sector, which is seen as a critical contributor to Namibia’s push to be industrialised by 2030.
Having spent millions to set up the institute in partnership with the Congolese government, Namibia now finds itself in a fix as to whether to recall her citizens from Loudima, or keep them there against their will. New Era last week reported that government is waiting for a detailed report regarding student complaints at the institute. Higher education permanent secretary Dr Alfred van Kent last week acknowledged that there are electricity and water problems at the institute, but said resources have been availed to address the situation.
Namibian students at the institute stopped attending classes and are demanding that government bring them back home, while the teachers say if it were not for the stranded learners they would be back in Namibia already.
Students complained about not receiving their monthly allowances, about water and electricity woes, and lamented the alleged poor learning environment at the institute, saying they do not have textbooks or a curriculum and the library is not well-resourced.
Classes have since been suspended at the Loudima facility, pending an amicable solution to the situation, but the Namibians there are adamant that they want to return home as soon as possible.