Negligence caused girl’s death Floris Steenkamp Thursday, April 3, 2014 - 08:00 The Immanuel Ruiters primary school in Walvis Bay raised several concerns in writing to the Regional Education Directorate in Erongo to have a removed section in the school’s boundary wall replaced, as it posed a danger to learners who leave the school’s premises through it. Last Friday a Grade 4 learner of the school, eight-year-old Lavinia Nghishekwa ran through this gap in the wall into the street and was knocked over and killed instantly by an oncoming vehicle. This week, the principal of the school, Miss Vangii Kavendjii confirmed that several concerns were raised with the education directorate, the last time in a letter dated last year October. Kavendjii confirmed a section of the boundary wall had to be knocked down in order for a building contractor to gain access to a part of the school’s premises to construct new classrooms and remove building rubble generated by the construction activities. Despite an agreement, this construction company allegedly failed to replace this section of the wall and it ended in tragedy. Kavendjii was unable to provide the name of the building contractor, but said several attempts failed to get the contractor to replace the knocked down section. The education directorate was supposed to notify the Ministry of Works and Transport as the official custodian of all government assets. Shafe Adams, the driver of the vehicle that killed the girl made a first appearance in the Walvis Bay Magistrates’ Court on Monday on a charge of culpable homicide. He is an employee of Plastic Packaging in Walvis Bay and was driving the company’s vehicle at the time of the accident. Adams’ fate is now in the hands of the regional prose-cutor who must decide whether he is to be prosecuted for the girl’s death. A memorial service for the deceased school girl takes place at the school hall of Immanuel Ruiters this afternoon, and she is to be buried in the Ohangwena Region at her home village this weekend.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 08:01:16 +0000
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