Niël Terblanché
The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) Movement’s leadership in the Otjozondjupa Region has expressed outrage over the discovery of spoiled maize meal being collected by desperate residents in Otavi.
Disturbing videos circulating on social media show people collecting sealed bags of maize meal that were dumped in an area easily accessible to the public, raising serious concerns about the handling of drought relief provisions.
According to AR activist Jay Jay, the maize, intended as part of food aid efforts, was discarded in a manner that allowed hungry residents to retrieve and consume it despite it being unfit for human consumption.
The AR Movement has condemned the situation as reckless and has called for immediate accountability.
“Thousands of residents in Otavi are unknowingly consuming this dangerous spoiled maize, which poses a serious risk to their health and well-being,” Jay Jay said.
Jay Jay was also critical of the Otavi Town Council’s health officers.
“How can they allow the discarded food to remain in a public space in sealed bags, making it easy for desperate people to collect and consume it? The negligence displayed in this situation is unacceptable,” he said.
He added that the AR demands immediate action to prevent further harm and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
Over the past weekend the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) issued a public warning, urging residents not to collect or consume maize meal from dump sites.
The OPM clarified that the spoiled maize meal was never part of the government’s drought relief programme but belonged to a private supplier.
According to the OPM, the stock was damaged due to spillage caused by heavy rains and was discarded in line with health standards.
“The supplier, in compliance with health standards, disposed of such products,” the statement read.
Despite these reassurances, the AR warned that it will not hesitate to take legal action against both the Otavi Town Council and Namib Mills should any residents suffer illness from consuming the spoiled maize.
Jay Jay called for an investigation into the manner in which the food was discarded and demanded that authorities ensure such a situation does not happen again.
The OPM urged residents to avoid collecting spoiled food, warning that consuming it could have severe health consequences.
