Evil contractors obstructing progress It is sad and pathetic that the effort that government makes to educate its masses, especially its children, are stalled by the greedy and corrupt citizens tasked to deliver its goals. The media has done and is still unearthing this greed and has reported on many school construction and expansion projects that have stalled and ground to a halt, because the contractor who was assigned by hook or by crook, was booted out after failing to deliver quality work on time. As much as the media has done its part to expose these corrupt service providers, some not even waiting to be kicked out, but vanishing into thin air; we still have not been able to report on the arrest of a single fraudster; all of whom seem to have escaped the long arm of the law, despite the gravity of their fraudulent behaviour and the social injustices against the intended beneficiaries, especially our children. Concerns have been raised and the general public has expressed outrage about this corruption that is rife in the awarding of tenders to contractors on the basis of whom they know, and not what they know and hence, this sad predicament that the beneficiaries of the many construction projects find themselves in. What is surprising is the snail''s pace of the process of appointing competent contractors to finish these stalled projects. It is time for government to apply severe punitive measures against these greedy contractors, who take chances with these socio-economic life-changing projects, contractors that are derailing government efforts to deliver on its promises to the masses, especially regarding education. “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world”, Nelson Mandela once said. Therefore, we call upon the government to take a no nonsense position against these deliberate economic saboteurs, who are hell-bent on fanning the poverty the nation is waging war against with its noble initiatives such as the Harambee Prosperity Plan. Namibia is serious about mitigating poverty, hence the establishment of a ministry tasked with poverty eradication. These evil detractors must suffer the consequences of their greed, forthwith!Evil contractors obstructing progress It is sad and pathetic that the effort that government makes to educate its masses, especially its children, are stalled by the greedy and corrupt citizens tasked to deliver its goals. The media has done and is still unearthing this greed and has reported on many school construction and expansion projects that have stalled and ground to a halt, because the contractor who was assigned by hook or by crook, was booted out after failing to deliver quality work on time. As much as the media has done its part to expose these corrupt service providers, some not even waiting to be kicked out, but vanishing into thin air; we still have not been able to report on the arrest of a single fraudster; all of whom seem to have escaped the long arm of the law, despite the gravity of their fraudulent behaviour and the social injustices against the intended beneficiaries, especially our children. Concerns have been raised and the general public has expressed outrage about this corruption that is rife in the awarding of tenders to contractors on the basis of whom they know, and not what they know and hence, this sad predicament that the beneficiaries of the many construction projects find themselves in. What is surprising is the snail''s pace of the process of appointing competent contractors to finish these stalled projects. It is time for government to apply severe punitive measures against these greedy contractors, who take chances with these socio-economic life-changing projects, contractors that are derailing government efforts to deliver on its promises to the masses, especially regarding education. “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world”, Nelson Mandela once said. Therefore, we call upon the government to take a no nonsense position against these deliberate economic saboteurs, who are hell-bent on fanning the poverty the nation is waging war against with its noble initiatives such as the Harambee Prosperity Plan. Namibia is serious about mitigating poverty, hence the establishment of a ministry tasked with poverty eradication. These evil detractors must suffer the consequences of their greed, forthwith!