Otjozondjupa Regional leaders have warned locals against consuming spoiled maize meal from bags that were recently disposed of at Otavi’s dumping site. 

These bags were discarded because they had become moldy due to rainwater leaking into the Namib Mills storage facility. 

Although the maize meal was initially supplied for drought relief programs, it had not yet been distributed to affected households.

Regional Governor James Uerikua, along with senior officials from regional and local authorities, clarified that Namib Mills is one of the suppliers contracted by the Office of the Prime Minister to provide drought relief food to the government. 

It is important to note that the maize meal bags were never stored in the Regional Warehouse, making the claim that the bags were disposed of by the government or the Constituency Office inaccurate.

“It is documented that Namib Mills had this stock in their warehouse awaiting delivery to the respective regions. However, due to the above-average rainfall the region has experienced in recent weeks, excessive moisture accumulated in the warehouse, resulting in 34 tons of spoiled maize meal,” the statement reads.

Otavi Mayor Isaac !Hoab criticized the council for its careless handling of the disposal process, noting that they had never managed such a large quantity of discarded food commodities before. 

Otavi Constituency Councilor George Garab cautioned communities against consuming the rotten maize meal, as it could lead to food poisoning. 

The Council is urging residents to return any spoiled mealie meal to either the Otavi Town Council or the Otavi Constituency Office.