Schools’ food poisoning not linked to Nored outages, utility says

The Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (Nored) is rolling out smart technologies across the northern regions, particularly Kavango East and West, in a bid to curb persistent power interruptions, amid growing concern over the impact of outages on schools and other essential services.

The rollout comes amid rising alarm over compromised school food storage, after two schools – Katjinakatji Combined School and Rundu Secondary School – reported serious suspected food poisoning incidents. Kavango East education director Christine Shilima said the issues were reportedly linked to delayed notifications from Nored regarding planned outages.

Nored spokesperson Simon Lukas said the utility is modernising its network to improve reliability and response times. He nevertheless firmly denied responsibility for the reported food spoilage and suspected poisoning incidents.

Central to the initiative is the implementation of a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, introduced in February. The system allows real-time monitoring of the electricity network and immediate detection of faults without relying on customer reports.

“The system improves restoration times significantly, as faults can now be identified and addressed instantly,” Lukas said.

The technology also reduces pressure on call centres by limiting the need for customers to report outages.

The SCADA system currently monitors over 80% of Nored's medium-voltage network, with all lines in the Kavango East and West regions prioritised to ensure faster detection and restoration during disruptions.

Targeting vulnerable spots

In addition, Nored has introduced a combi unit protection system to safeguard transformers from lightning-related damage, one of the leading causes of prolonged outages in the region. Installation began in November 2025 and targets high-risk areas prone to severe weather.

Lukas said the northern and north-eastern regions, particularly Kavango East and West, experience high lightning activity during the rainy season, making the network especially vulnerable.

“Power interruptions increase during heavy rainfall, storms and lightning events. While no system is completely immune to faults, these interventions are designed to minimise both the frequency and duration of outages,” he said.

Refute the allegations

Despite acknowledging ongoing challenges, Nored strongly rejected allegations linking its services to the two school food spoilage incidents.

“According to Nored’s monitoring data, no power interruption was recorded on the network supplying Katjinakatji Combined School on the day of the reported incident. This position was formally communicated to the Kavango West Regional Council," Lukas said.

 Regarding Rundu Secondary School, Lukas confirmed that a planned six-hour outage took place on 15 March to allow for NamPower maintenance but stressed that stakeholders were notified in advance.

“This outage was communicated on 1 March, in line with the 14-day notice requirement under the quality of service and supply standards,” he said. The planned maintenance affected over 300 schools, yet only Rundu Secondary reported food-related issues, he added.

“We therefore vehemently refute the allegations that these incidents should be attributed to Nored,” Lukas stressed.

He also urged schools, hospitals and businesses handling perishable goods to invest in backup power solutions to safeguard operations during both planned and unplanned outages.

Nored maintains that its investment in smart technologies, network upgrades and system protection measures forms part of a long-term strategy to improve electricity reliability and meet regulatory standards, as scrutiny over service delivery in the region continues.