Rudolf Gaiseb
Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts, and Culture Minister Sanet Steenkamp said the recent food poisoning outbreak at Maria Mwengere Secondary School Hostel highlights the urgent need to strengthen hostel management systems, ensure a safe water supply, and maintain food safety standards.
125 pupils of the Maria Mwengere Secondary School Hostel in the Kavango region, suffered from suspected food poisoning. On Tuesday, the minister shared that all affected learners have now fully recovered.
On 31 August 2025, 125 learners displayed gastroenteritis-related symptoms, with initial reports indicating 141. The learners were rushed to the hospital, with 33 admitted and 36 kept under observation.
Two learners required high care but have since stabilised. Subsequently, the ministry investigated and found that the contaminated water in the school tanks may have contributed to the outbreak.
During the inspection, the water exhibited visible discoloration.
“In the absence of any formal communication to the school to stop the usage of water from the contaminated water storage tanks, the contaminated water is possibly the primary contributor to the outbreak,” she said.
Further, the reports indicate no spoiled food was detected from the supplier. However, learners reported that the sausages served to them five days earlier were undercooked with visible signs of blood, the ministry stated.
Steenkamp also pointed out the questionable management and maintenance of the hostel by staff, particularly regarding food and sanitation.
The hostel’s cold storage room has been non-functional for two to three years, leading to frequent spoilage of fruits and vegetables. This, however, was ruled out as a possible cause of the incident.
Significantly, it was reported that food handlers have never undergone any medical testing since 2014.
The hostel staff also lack protective clothing such as aprons, boots, and caps, Steenkamp revealed.
“Waste bins were found inside the kitchen, and access control was poor, allowing animals to roam around food preparation areas,” she said.
This too was ruled out as a possible cause of the situation.
Additionally, the reports detail how the hostel staff substituted food items without approval, thereby deviating from the prescribed menu. Surprisingly, day scholars and one staff member who did not consume the meal reportedly fell ill as well.
To address this, the minister stated that relevant precautionary measures have now been implemented to prevent such occurrences in the future.
“We have since instituted appropriate measures to ensure the capacitation of all hostel staff members in all regions,” Steenkamp said.
These conditions, she highlighted, may be happening nationwide, and therefore, there is an urgent need for corrective and preventive measures.