Meatco members to discuss turnaround strategy

A Special general meeting of Meatco members is expected tomorrow to deliberate on a turnaround plan and future marketing strategy.

According to a statement from the parastatal, the meeting in Windhoek will also be an opportunity for feedback on the annual report and the audited annual financial statements for the 2023/24 financial year.

Only members will be allowed access.
The meeting comes soon after the appointment of Patrick Liebenberg, the executive for livestock procurement and production, as acting chief executive for six months, or until a substantive head is found.

Meatco began the search for a new chief executive after its board decided not to renew Mwilima Mushokabanji’s contract at the end of January.

The parastatal has been dogged by numerous challenges, including failure to pay farmers on time for head of cattle delivered and attempts to reduce dependence on government subsidies exceeding N$1 billion over the past three years.

Last year, a number of cattle producers complained that Meatco’s failure to pay them on time had affected their cash flow and their standing with financial institutions as they could not service loans or pay workers on time.

In July last year, minister of finance and public enterprises Iipumbu Shiimi expressed dissatisfaction with Meatco’s turnaround strategy.

“The government wants Meatco to stand on its own because it is a commercial entity that is supposed to generate revenue for itself,” Shiimi said, highlighting the need to improve the parastatal’s governance and leadership.

Also posing a threat to Meatco are new abattoirs Beefcor Namibia and Savanna Beef, which is building a N$300-million meat-processing complex next to the Windhoek-Okahandja highway.

In a notice to its members, the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) says, in line with section 14 of the Meat Corporation of Namibia Act, only registered Meatco members may attend the special general meeting.

“By virtue of a previous resolution of the annual general meeting, in order to qualify for registration as a member of Meatco in terms of the act, a producer must at least sell one unit of livestock to Meatco during the period immediately preceding the date on which his, her or its membership is to be determined – three years for members south of the veterinary cordon fence [redline] and five years for members north of the fence,” says the NAU.

Accordingly, producers south of the redline who were Meatco members from 11 February 2022 to 11 February 2025, and northern producers who were Meatco members from 11 February 2020 to 11 February 2025 are eligible to register for the meeting between 07h30 and 08h30 tomorrow before the proceedings starts.

This was confirmed by Meatco, which said members are producers of livestock who had complied with the foregoing: “They are not chosen – farmers who meet the criteria set by the annual general meeting simply apply to be registered as members”.
– email: matthew@namibian.com.na