At least 300 bags of maize meal are reported to be stored in a disused classroom at the base after it was declared unfit for human consumption some months ago already.

A source indicated to The Namibian that the maize meal made some recruits ill in April, and a health inspector was called to test the food.

Worms were found in the meal and the inspectors advised that it be destroyed.

It is believed that new consignments of food were packed on top of older bags of maize meal in the storeroom, allowing the newer deliveries to be used first and the meal at the bottom to go stale before it could be used.

The head of administration at the base, Lieutenant Colonel Hoebeb, denied any knowledge of the rotten food when approached by The Namibian yesterday.

He said the base only stored as much food as it needed for short-term consumption.

A source indicated that the administrative heads at the base appeared hesitant to destroy the food, for fear of alerting people to the incident.

The rotting bags of maize meal are believed to have been moved from the storeroom to a classroom away from the main centre of activity about two months ago.

"It is there, in classroom L23.

Even if they know about it, they are going to deny it," said the source.

Last week, around 300 bags of maize meal were found rotting in a hostel at a secondary school about 180 km from Rundu.

The food was destined for the Ministry of Education's school feeding programme.

By yesterday the investigation into the incident had been completed, but the Ministry said it could not release the findings because certain officials had not been briefed.

Officials of the Caprivi Regional Council and the Caprivi Emergency Management Unit face disciplinary action for allowing 18 000 bags of maize meal to rot in a military warehouse at M'pacha, instead of delivering it to needy flood victims.

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