Allexer Namundjembo
Youth and student organisations are demanding urgent intervention from the education ministry over the ongoing food crisis in government hostels, following procurement delays that have left many learners without meals.
The Landless People’s Movement (LPM), Affirmative Repositioning Students Command (ARSC), and Students Union of Namibia (SUN) have criticised the ministry for failing to ensure food supply in hostels and warned of the impact on learners’ health and academic performance.
LPM Youth Command spokesperson William Minnie blamed the crisis on bureaucratic inefficiency and political interference.
“It’s a failure of governance when children go hungry because of governmental ineptitude,” he said.
He accused the government of prioritising tender deals over learners’ basic needs and called for a complete overhaul of the procurement system, including decentralisation and stronger accountability.
They also urged for an overhaul of the procurement system, advocating for decentralisation, transparency, and a focus on public welfare.
“The government that can’t feed its children has forfeited its legitimacy,” Minnie said.
ARSC UNAM main campus chairperson Johanna Frans said the procurement dispute has caused unnecessary hardship for learners.
“It is one of the current contributing factors for an innocent Namibian child to fail due to the unmanaged resources, which in this case will be due to a lack of food,” she said.
She criticised the ministry for allowing the previous catering contract to lapse without securing a replacement.
“What if the ministry’s procurement division is tasked with food distribution? The tenders in the government system will not work. Look at what is happening in the health ministry. Hospitals are running out of medicine because those who are entrusted with tenders are failing to deliver on time. This is not good for Namibia,” Frans added.
Students Union of Namibia (SUN) president Bismarck Shikesho said the crisis is a direct violation of learners’ right to education and well-being.
“A hungry learner cannot concentrate in class, which negatively impacts academic performance, mental health, and overall development,” he said.
Shikesho called on the Ministry of Education to apologise and implement a plan for emergency food relief to avoid further disruptions.
“The ministry must urgently address the legal and logistical challenges hindering the procurement of food supplies to ensure that all hostels receive sufficient and nutritious food without delay. Exploring emergency procurement measures is essential to prevent any disruption to learners’ meals,” he added.
He also recommended regular audits and oversight to improve transparency and prevent similar problems in the future.
The National Africa Students Association (NASA) president, Muzani Muzani, said it would only comment if hostels completely ran out of food.
“As it stands, the association will only comment once schools run out of food or when the ministry has solved all its legal battles,” said Muzani.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of Education confirmed that it could not extend contracts of the previous food suppliers, which ended in March, due to the expiration of approval previously granted by the Ministry of Finance.
It added that the current procurement process is caught in legal battles.
The ministry cited a second review order issued on 19 March after two bidders requested a review and noted that the High Court ruled on 24 March in a contempt of court appeal involving the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education, Pamo Trading Enterprises, and other parties.
