The Agro-Marketing and Trade Agency has secured a school feeding tender in the Kavango West region, despite bidding N$1.4 million higher than a competing local green scheme.
The agency reportedly quoted the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture N$3.5 million, while the Musese green scheme quoted it N$2.1 million for the second term’s national school feeding programme.
The matter has prompted the green scheme’s private operator, Winni Metzger, to appeal to the ministry to reconsider its decision.
“Amta does not have the capacity, the correct bags, and the correct unsifted maize meal. Unlined bags and sifted maize meal used results in an inferior product,” Metzger wrote in a letter to the ministry dated 19 May.
He says Musese green scheme milled, supplied and blended the ministry’s school feeding products to 178 schools in the Kavango West region during the first term of this year.
Metzger further accuses Amta of being tainted by the mismanagement of government funds, and not having a proven delivery record.
He says because the green scheme has suffered a loss of anticipated income, it will be forced to retrench about 50 workers to sustain operations.
Metzger says the green scheme currently employs 220 people, of whom around 190 are residents of the Kavango West region.
Amta spokesperson Pasval Elijah yesterday said the agency plays a critical role in supporting the development and sustainability of Namibia’s agricultural sector.
She referred questions about the tender to the education ministry.
“Concerning allegations about Amta’s delivery capacity and performance: Since inception, through its operational milling facilities and established distribution networks, Amta has successfully supplied and delivered products under various government programmes over the years without failure,” Elijah said.
Education ministry spokesperson Esther Angula yesterday said all previous contracts under the school feeding programme expired in June last year.
She said following the expiry of contracts with private suppliers, regional offices procured food supplies for the second term of 2025 from various suppliers in accordance with the thresholds and provisions prescribed under the Public Procurement Act.
“For the 2026 academic year, the ministry adopted a public-to-public procurement approach as a temporary measure to ensure the continued implementation.
This arrangement remains in place while a long-term procurement solution is being finalised,” Angula said.
She said the ministry is currently preparing to procure school feeding services through a national open bidding process, which is the default procurement method under the Public Procurement Act.
“Once the bid is advertised, all eligible suppliers, including Metzger Kora Nyara Trading CC, will be afforded an equal opportunity to submit bids for consideration in accordance with the applicable procurement requirements and procedures,” she said.
A source close to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform claims Amta has received government tenders as a form of financial rescue.
