Hertta-Maria Amutenja
Ruacana High School hostel superintendent Immanuel Angula says learners have not yet experienced food shortages at the school, but warned that the situation could quickly change if the education ministry does not intervene.
Speaking to the Windhoek Observer, Angula said the current food situation remains stable at his school for now and that it is the responsibility of the education ministry to act if the situation deteriorates.
“For now, we have not experienced that situation at the school level here. If such a situation arises, it will be up to the ministry to respond. But for now, we are not there yet,” Angula said.
His remarks come as hostel food supplies in several regions are projected to run out by 11 April, following the expiration of interim catering contracts on 31 March.
The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture has admitted it is in a legal deadlock over its current procurement process, which remains stalled by ongoing court and review panel challenges.
Learners at government hostels say uncertainty over the availability of meals is already disrupting their ability to focus on schoolwork.
“We hear the hostel might run out of food this week. It’s hard to study when you’re not sure what you’ll eat tomorrow,” said a Grade 11 learner at Jan Möhr Secondary School in Windhoek, who requested anonymity.
The education ministry said it had been operating on temporary food supply contracts since last year, but attempts to award a longer-term tender were cancelled after new legal action was filed by bidders.
In a statement on Saturday, the ministry warned that it may not be able to feed learners beyond this week if emergency procurement is not approved.
Last week, several youth and student organisations, including the Students Union of Namibia (SUN), the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) Youth Command, and the Affirmative Repositioning Students Command (ARSC), condemned the delays and called for immediate action.
SUN president Bismarck Shikesho said the ministry must take responsibility and ensure a reliable food supply for all hostels.
The ministry said it is in talks with the Ministry of Finance to explore emergency measures.
It also cited gaps in the Public Procurement Act that allow repeated legal challenges, which it said have hampered efforts to finalise the process.
