The dispute over the construction of Ndama South School at Rundu is finally over.

The contractor is now on site and has started with the first phase of construction.

Kavango East Governor Bonifatius Wakudumo acknowledged that the community was not a party to the dispute but that it was rather due to an error by the Ministry of Education, Art, and Culture, which handed over the site to the contractor without the consent of the Council.

The Ndama South School is expected to decongest the junior and combined schools, which are presently accommodated on one premise.

The governor says the Council has a list of areas and schools that need such attention.

Next on the list is the site where an unregistered school with about 400 learners and 15 volunteer teachers operates.

"Now, to be specific, what happened with the Rundu Ndama South East School? As I am speaking now to you, we are having a site there where the current temporary school structure is constructed, consisting of corrugated ruffing as well as trees, where they currently teach the children to get an education. Now that area has been identified as having more than 335 learners, and you know, teachers who qualified who volunteered themselves to assist these kids to get an education, the regional councillor with her development committee of Rundu Urban saw it befitting to put that school as the priority, hence the need to be constructed at those premises where there are temporary classrooms," said Wakudumo.

The Governor says the new school is not an extension of Ndama School but a completely new school.

Wakudumo further stated that if Ndama School is overcrowded, nothing should prevent the directorate from transferring some of the learners to the new school.

The Governor has also called on the community not to feel left out now that the school has been moved.

"People of Ndama South, where the school was supposed to be constructed, if you stand there and measure the distance from there up to the new school, some are saying it's 800 metres, some are saying 900 metres; it's not more than one km; it's in that walking distance. So there is the same community, and nobody should feel left out, so the school is for the community. Ndama South School, where the school was supposed to be built at the wrong site, as well as the existing temporary school where the school is going to be constructed."

The governor, however, says the construction of the new school will not solve the teacher-learner ratio in the region.

He says there are still opportunities for more schools to be constructed to address the issue of crowded classrooms.