Legal steps against Chinese abattoir
Outjo residents plan to go to court after their town council ignored their objections against a Chinese-owned donkey abattoir.
A group of concerned Outjo residents plan to take legal action against a resolution by the town council to approve a Chinese-owned donkey slaughterhouse, a decision residents say was made despite widespread opposition from the town's residents and slammed as lacking transparency.
Members of the Outjo Community Committee (OCC) last week said they would “not stand for the blatant misuse of power” and would definitely take legal action in order to pause the decision and get more answers.
In March, a petition attracting nearly 1 900 signatures against the planned abattoir made the rounds, and the OCC handed over a detailed list of objections, as well as questions to the council.
To date, the council has ignored the questions and already took the decision in May to approve the plan, albeit with conditions attached.
The OCC, moreover, were only made aware of the decision last week.
One of the issues is the fact that although Fu Hai Trading claimed they would focus exclusively on donkey meat for export to Vietnam and other Asian countries, in a business plan experts in March criticised for a lack of transparency and credibility, the municipality now claims the abattoir will deal with cattle and sheep too.
The change of plans was not made public.
“I believe that it is abundantly clear at this stage that the municipality simply outright refuses to be transparent.
They failed to answer questions regarding the donkey abattoir in the first instance and now suddenly the entire business plan is changed.
To outline the absurdity, the mention of other meat products was not even made in the original newspaper advertisement posted by them personally. Should the change of business plan not have been addressed on a separate platform?” Zayne Koorts, OCC's legal adviser, said on Friday.
Lindie Prinsloo, chairperson of the OCC, last week said the municipality owed the community a number of answers, some of which the community hoped would be forthcoming if the OCC managed to get an interdict against the decision.
“We plan to take out an interdict against this decision as the municipality of Outjo has not answered one of our questions as presented to them in various formal letters.”
The questions include whether an environmental impact study has been completed, whether Fu Hai Trading is registered as a business and abattoir, what will be done with the waste products, including donkey skins, the source of the donkeys, cattle and sheep and whether Meatco has been informed.
She added that the town council's decision to ignore the various petitions and objections highlighted their lack of transparency.
“Why do they ignore the Outjo Community Committee enquiries? We are a committee chosen by the town's people representing the people of Outjo. Does that mean nothing to them?”
Claim of transparency
Outjo mayor Marius Sheya last week told Namibian Sun the council had “followed the law” in their decision process and that council meetings can be attended by the public.
He added that the abattoir discussion had been listed on the council agenda.
He said the objections were received but after “objectively” looking at the proposed business plan, “we approved with conditions” and the decision was based from the “objective of development.”
He said the approval was made with a number of conditions that have to be met by Fu Hai Trading before operations can commence and that “as long as they meet the necessary requirements, in terms of the law, we don't have a problem.”
Outjo town council CEO Joseph !Urib dismissed accusations of secrecy on Friday, and said the council was not required to provide feedback on objections.
He told Namibian Sun that the council on 15 May “took a principle resolution” to approve the abattoir, which he said would now operate as a “multi-species” operation.
He said unlike the February newspaper advert in which the council said it intended to sell the land to Fu Hai Trading, the resolution dictated the land would be leased because the company did not yet have Namibian partners.
The CEO said Fu Hai Trading's were instructed to carry out a number of requirements before they could be given final approval.
Some of the requirements include conducting an environmental impact assessment and to hold public meetings with Outjo residents. He said Fu Hai Trading also needed an environmental clearance certificate from the environment ministry.
Fu Hai Trading was also instructed to obtain a valid export permit and legal documents necessary to operate an abattoir in Namibia, as well as export meat and other waste products.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry on Friday said that Fu Hai Trading Enterprises had not yet approached the ministry to apply for an export permit.
The ministry added that, based on a previous business plan of Fu Hai Trading to export donkey meat to Vietnam, a permit could not be issued as there was no agreed health certificate between Namibia and Vietnam.
A request to! Urib to share a copy of the council's meeting minutes, in which the resolution was listed, was not met by the time of going to print yesterday.
JANA-MARI SMITH
Members of the Outjo Community Committee (OCC) last week said they would “not stand for the blatant misuse of power” and would definitely take legal action in order to pause the decision and get more answers.
In March, a petition attracting nearly 1 900 signatures against the planned abattoir made the rounds, and the OCC handed over a detailed list of objections, as well as questions to the council.
To date, the council has ignored the questions and already took the decision in May to approve the plan, albeit with conditions attached.
The OCC, moreover, were only made aware of the decision last week.
One of the issues is the fact that although Fu Hai Trading claimed they would focus exclusively on donkey meat for export to Vietnam and other Asian countries, in a business plan experts in March criticised for a lack of transparency and credibility, the municipality now claims the abattoir will deal with cattle and sheep too.
The change of plans was not made public.
“I believe that it is abundantly clear at this stage that the municipality simply outright refuses to be transparent.
They failed to answer questions regarding the donkey abattoir in the first instance and now suddenly the entire business plan is changed.
To outline the absurdity, the mention of other meat products was not even made in the original newspaper advertisement posted by them personally. Should the change of business plan not have been addressed on a separate platform?” Zayne Koorts, OCC's legal adviser, said on Friday.
Lindie Prinsloo, chairperson of the OCC, last week said the municipality owed the community a number of answers, some of which the community hoped would be forthcoming if the OCC managed to get an interdict against the decision.
“We plan to take out an interdict against this decision as the municipality of Outjo has not answered one of our questions as presented to them in various formal letters.”
The questions include whether an environmental impact study has been completed, whether Fu Hai Trading is registered as a business and abattoir, what will be done with the waste products, including donkey skins, the source of the donkeys, cattle and sheep and whether Meatco has been informed.
She added that the town council's decision to ignore the various petitions and objections highlighted their lack of transparency.
“Why do they ignore the Outjo Community Committee enquiries? We are a committee chosen by the town's people representing the people of Outjo. Does that mean nothing to them?”
Claim of transparency
Outjo mayor Marius Sheya last week told Namibian Sun the council had “followed the law” in their decision process and that council meetings can be attended by the public.
He added that the abattoir discussion had been listed on the council agenda.
He said the objections were received but after “objectively” looking at the proposed business plan, “we approved with conditions” and the decision was based from the “objective of development.”
He said the approval was made with a number of conditions that have to be met by Fu Hai Trading before operations can commence and that “as long as they meet the necessary requirements, in terms of the law, we don't have a problem.”
Outjo town council CEO Joseph !Urib dismissed accusations of secrecy on Friday, and said the council was not required to provide feedback on objections.
He told Namibian Sun that the council on 15 May “took a principle resolution” to approve the abattoir, which he said would now operate as a “multi-species” operation.
He said unlike the February newspaper advert in which the council said it intended to sell the land to Fu Hai Trading, the resolution dictated the land would be leased because the company did not yet have Namibian partners.
The CEO said Fu Hai Trading's were instructed to carry out a number of requirements before they could be given final approval.
Some of the requirements include conducting an environmental impact assessment and to hold public meetings with Outjo residents. He said Fu Hai Trading also needed an environmental clearance certificate from the environment ministry.
Fu Hai Trading was also instructed to obtain a valid export permit and legal documents necessary to operate an abattoir in Namibia, as well as export meat and other waste products.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry on Friday said that Fu Hai Trading Enterprises had not yet approached the ministry to apply for an export permit.
The ministry added that, based on a previous business plan of Fu Hai Trading to export donkey meat to Vietnam, a permit could not be issued as there was no agreed health certificate between Namibia and Vietnam.
A request to! Urib to share a copy of the council's meeting minutes, in which the resolution was listed, was not met by the time of going to print yesterday.
JANA-MARI SMITH
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article