Meat Board joins fight against Red Line removal
ELLANIE SMIT
WINDHOEK
The Meat Board of Namibia has filed a notice to intervene in the court case in which Affirmative Repositioning (AR) activist Job Amupanda is demanding the removal of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (VCF) - also known as the Red Line.
In a notice filed with the High Court, the Meat Board asked leave to intervene, or alternatively to be added as a fifth defendant, in the matter.
Amupanda filed a claim on 26 May, seeking a court order to have the fence removed and declared illegal and unconstitutional.
The defendants in the matter are agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein, the government, attorney-general Festus Mbandeka and an official of the directorate of veterinary services, Hango Nambinga.
In his claim, Amupanda insisted that the court order the agriculture ministry to remove the fence within 90 days. He further asked the court whether the Red Line was sanctioned by any laws, as he feels “such laws violate the dignity of Namibians, are discriminatory and unconstitutional”.
Market access
Meat Board CEO Paul Strydom said in his founding affidavit filed last week that the main purpose of the fence is to control animal and animal product movement as an animal disease control measure.
He said the VCF is comprised of a game fence and a cattle fence, ten metres apart, with controlled crossing points where all vehicles and persons are checked to prevent the movement of specific animals and animal products from the northern part of the country to the southern part.
“Because of the constant threat of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), livestock north of the VCF may not move across it to the south, while livestock products can only move under very strict veterinary control measures,” said Strydom.
He said the meat industry in Namibia contributes approximately N$7.2 billion to the GDP and is a source of invaluable foreign currency and job creation.
Strydom further stressed that compliance with international disease regulations is vital for Namibia to export its livestock and livestock products to the lucrative markets in Europe, China, the USA and South Africa, and any other potential markets.
He said the World Organisation for Animal Health disease regulations state that for Namibia to export livestock and livestock products to these markets, a zone within the country must be separated from FMD-infected areas by a series of boundaries which conform to certain standards.
“It is absolutely imperative for the survival; of the Namibian livestock industry that the VCF is kept in place and adequately maintained at all times.”
He said if Amupanda succeeded in his quest to have the VCF removed, the damage to the Namibian livestock industry would be catastrophic in that all livestock product export markets would be lost.
Strydom said that would lead to all associated export facilities incurring serious financial difficulties and that all efforts to improve the animal health status and develop market access north of the VCF would become null and void.
A case planning meeting is scheduled for 31 August.
The matter will be heard before Justice Shafimana Uitele, who will determine how the case will proceed.
WINDHOEK
The Meat Board of Namibia has filed a notice to intervene in the court case in which Affirmative Repositioning (AR) activist Job Amupanda is demanding the removal of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (VCF) - also known as the Red Line.
In a notice filed with the High Court, the Meat Board asked leave to intervene, or alternatively to be added as a fifth defendant, in the matter.
Amupanda filed a claim on 26 May, seeking a court order to have the fence removed and declared illegal and unconstitutional.
The defendants in the matter are agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein, the government, attorney-general Festus Mbandeka and an official of the directorate of veterinary services, Hango Nambinga.
In his claim, Amupanda insisted that the court order the agriculture ministry to remove the fence within 90 days. He further asked the court whether the Red Line was sanctioned by any laws, as he feels “such laws violate the dignity of Namibians, are discriminatory and unconstitutional”.
Market access
Meat Board CEO Paul Strydom said in his founding affidavit filed last week that the main purpose of the fence is to control animal and animal product movement as an animal disease control measure.
He said the VCF is comprised of a game fence and a cattle fence, ten metres apart, with controlled crossing points where all vehicles and persons are checked to prevent the movement of specific animals and animal products from the northern part of the country to the southern part.
“Because of the constant threat of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), livestock north of the VCF may not move across it to the south, while livestock products can only move under very strict veterinary control measures,” said Strydom.
He said the meat industry in Namibia contributes approximately N$7.2 billion to the GDP and is a source of invaluable foreign currency and job creation.
Strydom further stressed that compliance with international disease regulations is vital for Namibia to export its livestock and livestock products to the lucrative markets in Europe, China, the USA and South Africa, and any other potential markets.
He said the World Organisation for Animal Health disease regulations state that for Namibia to export livestock and livestock products to these markets, a zone within the country must be separated from FMD-infected areas by a series of boundaries which conform to certain standards.
“It is absolutely imperative for the survival; of the Namibian livestock industry that the VCF is kept in place and adequately maintained at all times.”
He said if Amupanda succeeded in his quest to have the VCF removed, the damage to the Namibian livestock industry would be catastrophic in that all livestock product export markets would be lost.
Strydom said that would lead to all associated export facilities incurring serious financial difficulties and that all efforts to improve the animal health status and develop market access north of the VCF would become null and void.
A case planning meeting is scheduled for 31 August.
The matter will be heard before Justice Shafimana Uitele, who will determine how the case will proceed.
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