FCC's Rotten Feed Saga Excuses Wanting

Monitor Editor | Monday June 11, 2018 11:29

The recent feed saga unfolding in the Francistown City Council (FCC) had an extremely simplified answer as to why schools had rotten bags of sorghum meal, samp, and beans in their supply. Yes, people who have gone to government primary schools will attest to the fact that the food served at many primary schools will fail even the minimum hygiene tests.

The council seems to blame storage facilities at schools, claiming that they do not have proper ventilation, hence the challenge of food rotting during school closure. The other excuse is almost laughable, as FCC is quick to admit that some schools with pupils from middle-income families carry their own provisions rather than eat food supplied at schools.  The council further explains that as a result ‘consumption’ patterns vary, which result in some schools remaining with a considerable surplus when schools break for holidays.

Really now? Perhaps the important question here is why pupils from middle-income families seem to shun feed from schools? Is it a matter of choice? Or is it because they at least have an option? Perhaps there is more to this pattern of pupils carrying their provisions than just a simplistic view that it is because their parents can afford to buy them mopako or give them money to buy food during tea or lunch breaks. And how about those who do not have the option to carry their own food to school? Is it acceptable for them to eat substandard food? There has always been health concerns regarding food supplied to pupils in primary schools, and students at secondary schools. FCC conceded that a number of schools had bags and bags of foodstuffs, which were infested with weevils, worms and mould.

FCC in its response is sugar coating one of the biggest challenges that our country face. The problem of food supplies that are unfit for human consumption does not only apply to the Francistown area but, it’s a nation wide problem that needs urgent attention.

In all honesty, we believe if schools were supplied with foodstuffs fit for human consumption, we would not wonder about proper inspection on the hygiene and safety standards of the kitchens and utensils used to prepare the food in schools. Let us not be quick to jump to being defensive and actually up our standards to ensure that pupils and students in our schools are fed proper hygienic food.