Agribusdev workers demand MD’s removal

OGONE TLHAGE WINDHOEKAgribusdev employees are demanding the removal of acting managing director (MD) Berfine Antindi, saying since she joined the entity, she has done little to turn the embattled company’s fortunes around.Antindi was appointed to replace former MD, the late Petrus Uugwanga, in June 2020.Making their demands known to Agribusdev board chairperson Rosemary Shikangalah and public enterprises minister Leon Jooste, the employees said Antindi had failed to provide sound leadership and has set out to have Agribusdev wounded up.“It is now evident that the acting MD, herself being an employee of the ministry of agriculture, was on a mission not to correct what was considered wrong at Agribusdev, but to close it. She has achieved that,” the employees said.“She failed to uphold and demonstrate work ethic by standing up and defending the company at all times. Rather, she engaged media claiming the company has failed without scientific evidence to prove it and while she is also part of it.”Antindi was also accused of mismanaging funding the entity received from treasury this year, resulting in a spoilt onion harvest at the Ndonga Linena green scheme.“The acting MD claims in the media reports that Agribusdev failed, however, during the time she has been acting as MD, Agribusdev received N$93 million specifically aimed for production. Never before her arrival has Agribusdev received such amount of money or support for production, but the company performed very poor,” the employees said.“As an example, because of her poor decisions, many tons of onions were left to rot at [the] Ndonga Linena project because she refused to approve the required number of casuals to assist during the harvest of the onions.”Release probeEmployees demanded the release of a corruption probe – looking into the overall busines operations of Agribusdev, its financial management, control and procurement processes - by audit firm Deloitte.They said they want the results of this probe to be made public so that they “as well as the public know the [facts] as to what transpired during the existence of Agribusdev”.Reacting to the employees’ claims, Antindi said Agribusdev was technically insolvent when she arrived on the scene.“When I came here, it had nothing. I have been trying to do the right things with the help of the ministry of agriculture. The company is in a lot of debt; I found it in that state,” she said.Employees were living in denial with regards to the true state of the entity, Antindi added.“I know there is a denial mindset. There is a denial mindset to accept that things have gone terribly wrong.”According to her, the country’s green schemes, which she helped manage before Agribusdev’s establishment, had operated smoothly.“Even before the establishment of Agribusdev, I was in charge of the green schemes, we had no issues then,” she said.

Agribusdev workers demand MD’s removal

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-11-05

Please login to leave a comment

Agribusdev workers demand MD’s removal

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-11-05

Please login to leave a comment

Subscription Required to Access Content ×

Login

Subscription Required to Access Content