NIDA spends N$1,3m fencing off an abandoned project

The Namibia Industrial Development Agency (NIDA) spent about N$1,3 million to fence off the crocodile farm in the Zambezi region, when the infrastructure is crumbling.The project, conceived in 2011, is about 63% complete and has access to all the necessary bulk services. The Manyeha crocodile farm, which sits on an 8-hectare plot in the Kongola constituency, is supposed to breed crocodiles, harvest and process crocodile leather, and be a tourist attraction resort.The resort comprises 10 chalets, a restaurant, pavilions, and an admin office, while the commercial component comprises an abattoir, a training centre, a manager’s house, and staff housing.The farm can accommodate about 20 000 crocodiles of various sizes, whereas the breeding ponds can accommodate about 300 female crocodiles.The government has invested N$37 million, and NIDA needs about N$ 77 million to complete the project. A National Council Standing Committee on Public Accounts and Economy reported that NIDA spent N$1.26 million in September 2024 to erect a fence around the project to prevent animal damage and vandalism from the local communities.The Committee, which toured the projects from 13 to 24 January, noted that despite such an expenditure, the project is still abandoned, with infrastructure continuing to decline.According to the report, there are broken lights, a damaged thatched roof and deteriorating, incomplete buildings.The Committee also says NIDA could not explain why a tenant who operates the Naute Kristel Distillery in the //Karas region receives free grapes and dates from the farm and uses free water and electricity. No running waterThe Committee reports that NIDA had failed to pay for water at the Biomass Project in Otjiwarongo, Otjiwarongo SME Park, and Omulunga SME Park in Grootfontein. Additionally, the Committee discovered that the warehouse at the Biomass Project, which contains animal feeds, maize grains, and animal feed crushing machines, has been open since the last visit in 2023. It says there is a risk that other machines housed in an old, unsecured warehouse outside the project vicinity could be stolen.There was also no running water or electricity at the Ondangwa Tannery project in the Oshana region.The tannery has not been operating since 2012 due to abandoned upgrades and a lack of funding.The caretaker cannot start and clean the machines to reduce the risk of damage because there is no electricity. According to the Committee, there have not been any developments since its last visit in 2023.Despite the damning findings, NIDA targets creating 35 000 jobs in the next five years.

NIDA spends N$1,3m fencing off an abandoned project

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Namibian Sun 2026-04-20

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NIDA spends N$1,3m fencing off an abandoned project

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Namibian Sun 2026-04-20

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