2015-08-13Staff Report 2 Nankudu A fire that started early yesterday morning in the kitchen at Kandjimi Murangi Secondary School caused damage running into thousands of dollars. The fire that started at around 05h00 damaged the kitchen, dining hall and cooking equipment. The fire was extinguished by the Nkurenkuru Town Council’s fire brigade that rushed to the scene shortly after being alerted. Built in 1975, Kandjimi Murangi Secondary School is located at Nankudu village, about 20km east of the town of Nkurenkuru, in Kavango West Region “The kitchen and 90 percent of the dining hall burned completely. We are not sure what sparked the fire. We are waiting for the forensic team from the police who will arrive from Windhoek in the evening or tomorrow (Thursday), so that they can start investigating the incident,” said the school’s shell-shocked headmaster, Albert Mutesi. Teachers and community members living in the vicinity of the school were awaken by a strong, pungent, billowing column of smoke. Luckily all the hostel learners had already departed for home after having writen their exams on Tuesday. “Fortunately our learners left yesterday for home. That is the good part because imagine if they were here – how will we feed them with no kitchen and dining hall?” queried Mutesi. However the school principal could not estimate the value of the buildings and equipment damaged. Kandjimi Murangi Secondary school offers classes from grades 8 to 12 and it has 479 learners of whom 350 are housed in the hostel. In January 2014, the roof of the girls hostel was blown off by a strong wind but fortunately no one suffered injuries. Early this year the school also saw the old hostel ceiling collapse during the rainy season. It fell on some of the learners’ beds while they were asleep in the early morning hours. That led the ministry to expedite its renovation. 2015-08-13Staff Report 2
