Donated maize got wetCabinet secretary George Simataa gives a different explanation as to why bags of donated maize meal became rotten. It is 254 bags, not 450, says OPM Bags of maize meal donated by the South African government “were spoiled by rain” at the Disaster Risk Management warehouse in Prosperita, Windhoek, before they could be dispatched to drought-stricken regions. Cabinet secretary George Simataa, who chairs the National Emergency Management Committee, said in a statement this week that the bags of maize meal were spoiled in February when the consignment was temporarily kept at the warehouse.
“The cause of the incident was undetected leakage in the roof of the warehouse which at the time was full to capacity. Even though the bags were neatly packed in stacks allowing one to move between them, water could not be observed on the floor as it entered the bags closer to the roof and was absorbed by the maize meal without wetting the floor,” is the explanation offered by Simataa.
He said when it was discovered that some of the bags were spoiled, the Ministry of Works and Transport was informed and the roof was immediately repaired.
Simataa said the cabinet was also informed and it directed that the office of the prime minister (OPM) should establish whether the maize could be used for animal feed before disposing of it.
He said after the Ministry of Health and Social Services established that the maize meal was unfit for human consumption the OPM consulted a private company to determine its suitability for animal consumption, but the results “indicated that the food was not fit for animal feed either”.
The OPM then sought a third opinion from the Agro Marketing Trade Agency, which also said the maize meal was unfit for human consumption. This company is still testing to see if the maize meal could be used as animal feed, Simataa said.
In the meantime, the bags will remain in the warehouse. Cabinet will be informed of the final outcome, after which treasury approval will be sought for the disposal of the bags.
“Government will ensure continuity in the supply and distribution of drought-relief maize meal to affected communities throughout the country,” Simataa said.
He denied that 450 bags of donated maize remained in the warehouse as was earlier reported, saying only 254 bags were spoilt.
When first asked about the bags, the spokesperson of the OPM, Saima Shaanika, did not deny claims that there were in fact 450 bags.
Her response to earlier questions was contrary to what Simataa is now saying.
Shaanika had said that the bags currently in the warehouse “were declared unfit for consumption in January already”.
She also said: “They were contaminated during the logistic management. They are only kept there waiting to be disposed of in line with treasury instructions on how government properties should be disposed of.”
CATHERINE SASMAN