Education Ministry condemns Minna Sachs protest

The parents of learners at Minna Sachs Primary School on Monday took action by blocking the school gates today. They are protesting what they claim to be the unfair and procedural appointment of the new school principal.

The Executive Director of the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, has condemned the development, describing it as unacceptable. “It is with utter dismay and a deep sense of disappointment that the Ministry of Education has learned about the closure of Minna Sachs Primary School gates in Keetmanshoop, Kharas region, by Michael Amichelelo and several members of the Landless People’s Movement, including the Chairperson of the Regional Council in Kharas,” Steenkamp said.

Steenkamp revealed that this incident followed two days of extensive consultations. “As an Accounting Officer, I, along with the Executive Director of the Ministry of Justice, Ms. Clara Spickering, and a team, were directed by the Minister of Education to engage with the concerned parties. We listened and explained in response to a petition requesting the appointment of a Koikova-speaking person at the school,” she explained.

The Ministry held extensive meetings with the school board and had deep engagements with the Chairperson of the Regional Council. “We explicitly explained our policies, procedures, and the legal framework within which recruitment occurs, emphasizing the equality of every person before the law in this country,” Steenkamp added.

Despite these efforts, the situation has escalated, politicizing the education of the children. “This is unacceptable. The Regional Director and the Namibian police have arrived at the scene,” she said.

Steenkamp expressed hope for an amicable resolution. “It is our wish that this matter be resolved once and for all, as we believed our meetings were successful. The principal was received with joy and excitement by the staff and parents of Minna Sachs on Friday morning. It is disheartening to see others turn this into a political issue,” she concluded.