Moussongela's school in spotlight again
The Mennonite Brethren Community School at Omafo is once again in the news after a teacher appeared in court last week on charges of molesting learners between 2016 and 2018.
The school was founded by Congolese pastor Pedro Marcelino Moussongela, who was convicted of fraud and contravening the Immigration Act last year.
Multiple charges of human trafficking, rape and assault by threat remain pending against him in the Ondangwa and Windhoek lower courts.
A teacher at the school, Nghiimodino Toivo (29), appeared before the Ohangwena Magistrate's Court on 2 March, where he was charged with immoral practices against minors.
He was denied bail as police investigations continue.
The Ohangwena police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Abner Kaume Itumba, said Toivo was arrested on 1 March.
“Toivo was arrested after the parents of ten boys who are learners at the Mennonite Brethren Community School at Omafo laid charges against him.
The acts were committed between 2016 and 2018 at the school's hostel.
Police investigations continue and he remains in custody,” Itumba said.
The official opposition party, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), has written to the Ohangwena director of education, Isack Hamatwi, requesting the immediate closure of the school.
The PDM regional coordinator for Ohangwena, Hidipo Hamata, said the Mennonite Brethren School was dangerous to the community and the party wanted it shut down.
At the beginning of last year Namibian Sun reported that about 200 learners had left the Mennonite Brethren Community School following Moussongela's arrest on charges of human trafficking, rape and assault.
This school is subsidised by the ministry of education and last year the ministry approved the school's registration as a Junior Secondary Certificate examination centre.
The acting regional education director, Hiuzon Shingenge, said the directorate was investigating the situation at the school.
The school's acting principal, Ngoie-A-Ngoie, could not be reached for comment.
In August last year the Eenhana Magistrate's Court sentenced Moussongela to nine years' imprisonment on three charges of fraud.
Magistrate Helvi Shilemba further imposed a fine of N$16 000, or five years' imprisonment, on four other counts of employing foreigners without work permits.
Moussongela was also convicted on four charges of contravening the Immigration Act.
He had falsified the documents of children born outside Namibia, whom he claimed to be his own, to conceal their true citizenship.
These children later obtained Namibian documents after Moussongela misrepresented the late Teresia Tangi Iyambo as the mother of the children.
At the time of his arrest in the north, he was out on bail after a first appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court where was accused of having trafficked five of his own children to England.
ILENI NANDJATO
The school was founded by Congolese pastor Pedro Marcelino Moussongela, who was convicted of fraud and contravening the Immigration Act last year.
Multiple charges of human trafficking, rape and assault by threat remain pending against him in the Ondangwa and Windhoek lower courts.
A teacher at the school, Nghiimodino Toivo (29), appeared before the Ohangwena Magistrate's Court on 2 March, where he was charged with immoral practices against minors.
He was denied bail as police investigations continue.
The Ohangwena police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Abner Kaume Itumba, said Toivo was arrested on 1 March.
“Toivo was arrested after the parents of ten boys who are learners at the Mennonite Brethren Community School at Omafo laid charges against him.
The acts were committed between 2016 and 2018 at the school's hostel.
Police investigations continue and he remains in custody,” Itumba said.
The official opposition party, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), has written to the Ohangwena director of education, Isack Hamatwi, requesting the immediate closure of the school.
The PDM regional coordinator for Ohangwena, Hidipo Hamata, said the Mennonite Brethren School was dangerous to the community and the party wanted it shut down.
At the beginning of last year Namibian Sun reported that about 200 learners had left the Mennonite Brethren Community School following Moussongela's arrest on charges of human trafficking, rape and assault.
This school is subsidised by the ministry of education and last year the ministry approved the school's registration as a Junior Secondary Certificate examination centre.
The acting regional education director, Hiuzon Shingenge, said the directorate was investigating the situation at the school.
The school's acting principal, Ngoie-A-Ngoie, could not be reached for comment.
In August last year the Eenhana Magistrate's Court sentenced Moussongela to nine years' imprisonment on three charges of fraud.
Magistrate Helvi Shilemba further imposed a fine of N$16 000, or five years' imprisonment, on four other counts of employing foreigners without work permits.
Moussongela was also convicted on four charges of contravening the Immigration Act.
He had falsified the documents of children born outside Namibia, whom he claimed to be his own, to conceal their true citizenship.
These children later obtained Namibian documents after Moussongela misrepresented the late Teresia Tangi Iyambo as the mother of the children.
At the time of his arrest in the north, he was out on bail after a first appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court where was accused of having trafficked five of his own children to England.
ILENI NANDJATO
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article