Heads to roll in food aid scandal

HEADS can be expected to roll for allowing tonnes of food aid to rot in a Katima Mulilo warehouse, while thousands of needy people suffered in the wake of last year’s Caprivi floods.

Cabinet on Tuesday instructed the Prime Minister’s Office to draw up a list of people directly involved in the scandal so that misconduct charges in terms of the Public Service Act can be formulated against them. The food will have to be destroyed, Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila told The Namibian yesterday.Two months ago Secretary to Cabinet, Frans Kapofi, visited a military warehouse at M’pacha where 230 tonnes of maize was found being attacked by mice and monkeys instead of having been delivered to flood victims last year.This was followed by a two-week investigation by a team set up by the Prime Minister’s office – the report of which was handed to Cabinet for scrutiny this week.Gross negligence on the part of officials responsible for the distribution of food aid was found.Amathila said that those responsible would definitely be brought to book.The reasons for the negligent behaviour have not yet been made known.When the scandal was first uncovered, officials at the town offered the cutting of overtime as a possible reason why the food was never delivered; others alleged that tribalism was a factor in deciding who received aid.The food will have to be destroyed, Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila told The Namibian yesterday.Two months ago Secretary to Cabinet, Frans Kapofi, visited a military warehouse at M’pacha where 230 tonnes of maize was found being attacked by mice and monkeys instead of having been delivered to flood victims last year.This was followed by a two-week investigation by a team set up by the Prime Minister’s office – the report of which was handed to Cabinet for scrutiny this week.Gross negligence on the part of officials responsible for the distribution of food aid was found. Amathila said that those responsible would definitely be brought to book.The reasons for the negligent behaviour have not yet been made known.When the scandal was first uncovered, officials at the town offered the cutting of overtime as a possible reason why the food was never delivered; others alleged that tribalism was a factor in deciding who received aid.