Staff Reporter
THE Cocoma Primary School in the Kavango East Region is set to undergo a major upgrade after the Ministry of Education allocated N$22.5 million for the construction of classrooms, hostel blocks and other facilities.
The development follows an appeal by the school’s principal, Moses Ndumba, for the government to upgrade the school’s community hostel, where learners have reportedly been sleeping on the ground due to inadequate facilities. The hostel accommodates more than 160 learners.
“After years of declining the school’s requests for the construction of classrooms and hostel facilities on the grounds that the school did not meet the requirements, the Ministry of Education has now allocated N$22.5 million for the construction and upgrading of infrastructure at Cocoma Primary School,” the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) Kavango East Region said.
READY FOR UPGRADES: Scenes from the site handover ceremony. Photos: MICT Kavango East Region (Belinda Kulatau).
The MICT Kavango East Region revealed that the contract, awarded to Vega Investment CC, covers the construction of a new administration block, separate hostel blocks for girls and boys, ablution facilities, septic tanks, four classrooms, a storeroom, a kitchen and dining hall. In addition, teachers’ accommodation will be constructed, along with two 10,000-litre water tanks. The project also includes fencing around the school.
The MICT Kavango East Region confirmed that construction will officially commence on 27 July 2026 and is expected to be completed by March 2027.
“During the site handover, improvements to the school’s community hostel were also evident. The hostel is now fully equipped with bed frames, which were reportedly delivered by the Ministry of Education about a week after images of the school’s poor hostel facilities circulated on social media,” the MICT Kavango East Region added.
