The Education Directorate in the Zambezi Region has closed down Caprivi Senior Secondary School for two days to prevent a sewage spill. 

 Education Inspector for Katima Mulilo Circuit, Rosco Lukubwe, said the school closure will allow the Works Department and Town Council to unblock the system.

 He added that if need be, they will approach the Regional Council for an emergency procurement allocation to resolve the matter. 

 Works Inspector in the Education Directorate, Likukela Matongo, said as an immediate solution, they need to install a pump station at the manhole that connects the sewer reticulation network from the school to the Katima Mulilo Town Council's system.

“What needs to happen there is that the sewer manhole, which is in question and blocked, has to be emptied completely up to the benchmark. This is so that the technicians can remove all the debris that has accumulated at the benching between the pipelines of the two manholes."

Matongo explained that despite the school being renovated less than three years ago, the property has started to deteriorate due to vandalism.

He cited a similar situation at Mayuni Senior Secondary School hostel, which was also recently renovated.

“Our children have a serious vandalism mentality. This is to a point whereby this hostel from 2022, and not more than three years old, looks like it was never renovated. Changing all plumbing, all showers, all laundry doors, and all windows, it looks like it is 10 years old.”

The waste in the sewerage system is a cause of concern.

 “The grease that is coming from the kitchen and pieces of mattresses - it creates rocks and lumps that are easily susceptible to blocking because the sewer network, works on gravity. There is no pressure, so it means those heavy materials, if they are not carried by the water by gravity, lump up and cause a blockage.”

 Lukubwe also explained the problem to the learners.

 “I was at the boys’ side - mattresses are being cut into pieces and flushed down toilets, worsening the problem.”