Max Makushe staff under police probe for alleged polony and hostel food theft

There Max Makushe Senior Secondary School staff members face police and internal investigations over the alleged theft of hostel polony, sausages, viennas, mince and chicken.

The school is in the Mukwe constituency in the Kavango East region.

Some 32kg of food was allegedly stolen around 24 August and stored at a bar near the school.

Investigating officer inspector Alvin Joseph yesterday told The Namibian the incident came to light when the hostel superintendent was tipped off that the food items were stolen, after which an investigation was launched.

He said the superintendent discovered the stolen items in a fridge at the local market and recovered them.

“The superintendent then went to the police station and opened a case of theft. After that, three employees were called in to be charged and were released. All the investigations are done and the docket will be sent to the prosecutor general’s office for a decision. The value of the items is yet to be determined,” Joseph said.

Kavango East education director Christine Shilima and regional police commander Andreas Haingura yesterday confirmed two ongoing investigations into the matter.

Shilima said the circuit office is currently investigating a case of staff misconduct, after which the three employees will be subjected to disciplinary hearings.

“The circuit inspector is currently still busy with investigations. After the circuit inspector is done with the preliminary investigations, then the disciplinary hearings will commence. That’s all I can say for now,” she said.

Shilima said a special committee would recommend punitive measures, depending on the outcome, to the Office of the Prime Minister.

The loot was allegedly returned to the school.

Max Makushe Senior Secondary School accommodates over 1 000 pupils.

The owner of the alleged involved bar, Erastus Theofelus, has denied knowledge of the theft.

“I heard that things were stored only after it happened. The police didn’t come to me,” he said this week.

In 2018, The Namibian reported that a cleaner at Karundu Primary School at Otjiwarongo appeared in court in connection with the theft of beef and game carcasses and boxes of fish and chicken from the hostel’s kitchen, among other items.

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