Hostel food supply back on track

Atlantic Food Services (AFS) has resumed supplying food to school hostels in the north after receiving a “substantial” payment from the government.

Earlier, a number of schools in the Omusati Region had suspended classes and sent hundreds of learners home because there was no food for them.

The government apparently owed AFS N$30 million, which led to the supplier suspending deliveries to school hostels.

AFS executive director Frans Mbidi said the problem was resolved yesterday when the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture made a payment.

“We received payment yesterday and since then we have been supplying the schools with food. We guarantee that until the schools close this year we will be supplying food to the schools,” Mbidi said.

Mbidi would not say how much of the debt was paid but said it was a substantial amount. He added that what mattered was that a solution had been found to the problem that had forced schools to suspend classes.

He said the food being distributed to schools was enough to last for the next four days. Ordinarily the supply is enough for a week.

When contacted for comment, the acting director of education for the Omusati Region, Shali Kankodi, confirmed that schools were receiving the food consignments.

He said all learners were expected to be back at school by Sunday.

“One cannot say [exactly] when the learners will be back at school as it depends on the availability of food. If the food is there, the learners will be informed to be at school. I think by Sunday all the schools will have received their food and the learners will be back,” Kankodi said.

KENYA KAMBOWE