Councillor claims Kavango green scheme run via WhatsApp

Kavango East leaders have criticised the agriculture ministry's continued centralised control over the Uvhungu-Vhungu Green Scheme as an outdated and ineffective management model.Rundu Rural councillor Paulus Mbangu, during a visit to the scheme last week, claimed operations are so decentralised they are managed via WhatsApp.He said local managers have little authority and are powerless, as key decisions, procurement and finances remain bottlenecked in Windhoek. “It’s not fair for the green scheme to be run through WhatsApp,” Mbangu said. “At the moment, it’s through WhatsApp. The officials in Windhoek rarely come down here to see what is on the ground. It’s only through telephone conversation and WhatsApp.”Empower regional managersMbangu said a lack of on-site decision-making has severely hampered progress, from the promised electrification of the scheme to a dormant dairy project and a lack of vital infrastructure, such as storage and processing facilities.“We need to decentralise the function of the green scheme to the region so that at least things can be coordinated very effectively,” he added.He proposed that regional managers be given budgets and decision-making powers to expedite procurement and address urgent needs on the ground. “It will be good if the managers can also be given a budget. At the moment, I think they don’t even know how much cash we have,” Mbangu said.The councillor also lamented that commitments made during a ministerial visit last year, including plans to connect the scheme directly to NamPower instead of relying on electricity from a neighbouring Norwegian community, have not materialised.“The minister came, and he promised to table it to Cabinet... but by the look of things, nothing was done yet. And I think that is also one of the challenges,” he said.Procurement paralysisThe councillor further pointed out that Uvhungu-Vhungu remains the only green scheme in the country operating without any storage facilities, putting its harvests and sustainability at risk.He called for investments in storage, processing and value-addition facilities, such as fertiliser and watermelon factories.Kavango East governor Hamunyera Hambyuka, who was among those who visited the scheme, agreed that a lack of local empowerment has hindered daily operations, even for simple things like basic repairs.He said even minor issues, such as a broken bolt, must first be invoiced and reported to Windhoek – a system he described as paralysing and inefficient.“Even a tyre, you have to order from Windhoek. It’s like we don’t have a shop selling tyres here,” Hambyuka pointed out. He added that partial decentralisation has created a false sense of progress, with real decision-making power remaining concentrated in the hands of distant central government officials.“In the end, we are still reporting to the central government. I think something needs to be changed. The more you decentralise, the faster we can move,” he said.Lack of growth Hamunyera also said the only available storage at the Agro Marketing And Trade Agency (AMTA) has limited space and is already full.“You say you are producing here, but the harvesting or processing is done somewhere else. It’s expensive. You cannot transport [produce] all the way to Zambezi or Otavi,” Hambyuka stressed.He committed to taking the matter up with the relevant ministries to ensure a dedicated storage site is constructed at or near the scheme.Mbangu also raised concerns about the long-delayed dairy farm project, which was awarded to Zizi Engineering India Property Limited in January 2023. Despite accepting the award, the company has yet to mobilise on-site, reportedly still trying to secure funding.The regional councillor appealed for intervention to either assist the current company or consider new investors, saying the delay has left valuable infrastructure idle for too long.Mbangu also criticised a lack of growth opportunities for small-scale farmers, who were initially meant to be trained and graduated into medium-scale operators.“Since the programme was initiated, there has been no graduation. New interests are not coming in. That is another challenge again that needs to be addressed,” he said.Positive despite major hurdles Despite these challenges, green scheme manager Floris Smith said production is increasing. The wheat currently under cultivation covers 170 hectares – nearly double last year’s yield – with a target of 320 hectares of maize by year-end.“If we manage the land properly, we will contribute very positively to the national food production chain,” Smith said.However, he also warned that the lack of storage, rising fuel costs and international market disruptions – such as the conflict in the Middle East – are threatening production costs and food security.“The more we produce, the less we import... That is why green schemes are so important,” Smith underlined. Both Mbangu and Hambyuka agreed that meaningful progress at Uvhungu-Vhungu will depend on giving local managers and regional authorities more power to act swiftly, rather than through WhatsApp instructions from Windhoek.“Let us have an authority for effective coordination of the green scheme’s operations,” Mbangu insisted.

Councillor claims Kavango green scheme run via WhatsApp

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-01

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Councillor claims Kavango green scheme run via WhatsApp

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-01

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