The Chairperson of the Kavango East Regional Council, Damian Maghambayi, says the impasse on where a new school in Rundu's Ndama Informal Settlement should be constructed has been resolved.
The community of Ndama West demanded the school be constructed in their area as originally planned because the area does not have a single school.
Maghambayi says wherever the school is constructed, be it in Ndama South or Ndama West, its location will be beneficial to all residents.
"Now that we are decentralised, why can't we handle our own affairs at the regional level? Because I have also already seen an email coming from the head office instructing the director on what to do instead of us in the region to resolve the matter, go and sit with the community, explain to them what the processes are and how we can go about it, and then that's it. To me, there is no problem because, whether Ndama South or Ndama West or wherever they are, they are all the same community."
According to teachers at Ndama Junior Primary, the school management identified a site in Ndama West for the construction of the school.
Ndama West Suburb Development Committee Member Lucas Chikalu says parents will stage a demonstration next week to express their grievances against their councillor.
"Ndama Junior Primary approached us, the Village Development Committee, and parents for a piece of land to build a school. Now we expected the chairperson of the regional council to call a meeting where all parties could be present, including the director and the management of Ndama Junior Primary, so that clarity could be given on how this school came about. Because the honourable councillor does not know how it came about; she just wants to hijack it and relocate it to where she wants. Why is she not meeting the management of Ndama Junior Primary to understand?"
The Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture agreed to fund the construction as a means to decongest the old Ndama School, where the junior and combined schools are presently accommodated on one premise.
The two schools have a combined population of more than four thousand learners, making them one of the most populated schools in the town.
Residents allege that Rundu Urban Councillor Victoria Kauma and Ndama Headman Mpande Olavi hijacked the project to ensure it was located at Ndama South, saying the area already has four schools.
Kauma and Mpande are tight-lipped on the matter, despite several attempts to get their side of the story.
The Acting Director of Education, Arts, and Culture, Christine Shilima, also refused to comment on the matter.