The Sauyemwa Combined School in Rundu was renamed to Ruben Makaranga Combined School who pioneered the first school in that informal settlement in 1935.

The acting principal of the school Paul Malembu told Nampa on Monday the decision to have the school renamed started in 2017.

According to Malembu, Makaranga started a small school close to the river after his biological children were suspended for late coming from a missionary school that was in Mupini village, some 15 kilometres West of Rundu.

The school grew in leaps and bounds as more learners enrolled and were then shifted to where it is located today, he said.

Makaranga died in October 1957.

“The community of Sauyemwa, the school board and management felt naming the school after this deserving person in order to keep his name alive in the settlement and the region, who otherwise might never hear of him.

Being the first person to bring a school to the Sauyemwa informal settlement we thought this history was important and convincing enough to rename the school after him. We submitted a report to the ministry of education with concrete evidence on how we came up with the name and our proposal was officially approved in 2020,” the acting principal said.

Malembu also said the school started using the new name in 2021 but the official unveiling was done on Saturday.

Speaking on behalf of the Makaranga family Pastor Rachel Nathaniel – Koch said Makaranga was also a skilled businessman who became very wealthy.

Makaranga she said, believed in helping the community he resided in and this is shown by the number of orphans he took care of.

The Director of Education in the region Fanuel Kapapero said the directorate is in full support of schools being renamed after deserving people and called on other schools to follow suit.

The school accommodates 2600 learners, 63 teachers and four institutional workers.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency