Steenkamp dra ma Maria se wysheid saam
It is her mother’s strength, her quiet rebellion against limitations and her fierce belief in her daughter’s potential that form the basis of Namibia’s new Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture’s leadership.In her maiden speech in parliament, Sanet Steenkamp paid tribute to her mother Maria Cloete, a domestic worker and later a hostel cook who, according to her daughter, had a deep, intuitive knowledge that was born from hardship and not from school desks.
“She sacrificed everything to give us a chance at education, knowing that learning is the medicine for the healing of generations.”
Her position in government is not a deviation from her mother’s life’s work, Steenkamp said, but its continuation.
“Her hands that once cleaned the homes of others have cleared the path I now walk in government. She ran with invisible wolves that howled softly so that one day I might speak with boldness.
“I carry her legacy with me and bring her wisdom into spaces she never entered but always belonged.”
She introduced herself as “Sanet Lentrud Steenkamp, born into the Cloete family in Karasburg”.
“I know what it is to be young, pregnant and unemployed and how that led me to begin my journey with teaching at Lordsville Secondary School in Karasburg as an unqualified but determined teacher.”
Although she was born in the south of the country, Steenkamp said the residents of Oshana and Ohangwena also consider her one of their own because she spent 18 years of her professional life here.
Steenkamp also referred to her siblings Brenda, Pieter and Mike and her aunt Ellen who stepped in with “care and protection” when she lost her mother at a young age and who shaped the person she is today.
The love and support of her husband Willy and her children Janine, Byron, Gunton and Eunice also received special mention.
“This appointment is not just mine, it is a shared honour that belongs to all of us. I carry their sacrifices, strength and wisdom into every policy decision and act of service.”
Part of Steenkamp’s plans is to address systemic weaknesses in the country’s education system such as overcrowded classrooms and poor student performance. Priority will also be given to a draft bill for teachers that will standardise and professionalise education and vocational training.
Infrastructure improvements will be boosted by the Accelerated Infrastructure Development Plan (AIDeP), which will prioritise school upgrades and construction projects. The renovation of the Independence Stadium is also scheduled to begin in the 2025-26 financial year. Key interventions include the National Youth Fund, with preparations for the 2025 African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Youth Games in Windhoek also underway. – [email protected]