The leadership of the Kavango West Region has postponed the inauguration of the Nkurenkuru Vocational Training Centre, citing that it cannot proceed until the project is fully completed.

The decision was communicated at a leadership engagement.

The Nkurenkuru Vocational Training Centre commenced operations in June last year and admitted its first group of trainees in March this year.

The centre was supposed to be inaugurated on the 18th of September; however, the regional leadership believes that the project will be inaugurated only once all requirements have been met.

"As we speak, you will see that the building constructed for us by the first contractor has been abandoned. I have heard that the contractor was not complying with the requirements and was slow in his work, which led to the decision to change contractors. The main issue was that the contractor was unable to deliver, leaving the project incomplete for almost two years, if I’m not mistaken," stated Councillor Gabriel Tenga of the Nkurenkuru Local Authority.

Kavango West Region Governor Verna Sinimbo remarked that, based on discussions from last year, several of the issues currently being raised were not intended to be addressed at this stage. 

"Today, we are supposed to receive an update on what has been accomplished regarding the upgrades and other related matters. However, if we are still discussing financial issues, I am unsure whether the funds were only made available before your arrival or what the situation is, as it remains unclear. I am aware that this has been covered in the media, and I will not hesitate to reiterate my concerns. It feels rather incomplete. We must ensure that we upgrade this centre to meet the required standards."

Tondoro Constituency Councillor Joseph Sikongo noted that the budgets are currently under review. "We are examining the budgets that are being proposed now and considering how quickly we can complete them, as the end of the year is approaching. This is what we, as a region, need to focus on. How will the bidding process be conducted? What is the expected timeframe for this?"

The centre is currently awaiting the Safety and Health Evaluation Certificate from the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations. The certificate is required for the NTA to finalise the registration.

Once NTA registration is concluded, the Centre will proceed with accreditation processes through the Namibia Qualifications Authority.