Mutorwa and Goeiemann clash
The agriculture minister says the man responsible for the delay in opening two northern abattoirs is works permanent secretary Willem Goeiemann.
Accusations are flying left, right and centre between agriculture minister John Mutorwa and works permanent secretary Willem Goeiemann over delays in the opening of the Oshakati and Katima Mulilo abattoirs.
Mutorwa has claimed that thousands of farmers in the Northern Communal Areas (NCA) are suffering because of Goeiemann, “who has been playing and continues to play the delay game since September 2016”.
For his part, Goeiemann maintains that there is no delay, and things are being done professionally.
While responding to the Namibian Sun's article 'NCA farmers in limbo', Mutorwa sympathised with farmers and accused Goeiemann of not feeling the suffering of the farmers by delaying the opening of the two abattoirs for reasons known only to him.
Mutorwa emphasised that the delays had nothing to do with money, as his ministry had budgeted for the repairs.
“It is not a question of money, but, in my considered view, an attitudinal problem, non-empathetic and uncaring attitude from some government officials, who do not have feelings for the suffering of the affected farmers at heart, for reasons unknown to my ministry,” fumed Mutorwa.
An incensed Mutorwa said that, before the signing of abattoirs leasing agreement in August 2016, his ministry contacted Burmeister and Partners to do technical evaluation and inspections of the two government abattoirs. He said the consultants finished their work on time and submitted their report to him as required.
Mutorwa said based on that report, they appointed a contractor to do the required repair work as a matter of urgency.
“The works ministry through its permanent secretary intervened and advised that the contractor cannot and may not be appointed solely on the basis of the said report. They insisted that the works ministry engineers must do their own technical evaluation, on the basis of which a contractor may then be appointed,” Mutorwa explained.
Mutorwa questioned why Goeiemann could not speed up this process.
“These delaying tactics have been played, and continue to be played, since September 2016 until the present, despite my ministry's protestation and thousands of NCA farmers suffering.”
Goeiemann denied these allegations, saying he was not consulted from the outset and only came to know about the abattoirs in September last year. He said they have been working around the clock to finish two bills of quantities.
“These are technical activities. They take time and one cannot just finish them in a day. We started in September and we could not go on holiday just because we are committed to the task,” Goeiemann said.
He said they were completing one bill of quantity yesterday, while another one would be completed today, to be submitted to the agriculture ministry.
Goeiemann said he was not the one who intervened in the process, but that the ministry was referred to him by the attorney-general.
“The agriculture ministry went to the attorney-general for the lease agreement contracts and they were advised that I have to sign each one. They brought them to me to sign, but I cannot just sign something I do not know about since I was not consulted. That is why I sent our engineers to do the evaluation,” Goeiemann said.
Mutorwa announced that the abattoirs would be run by private businesses, with the Oshakati abattoir having been given to KIAT Investment Holdings, while the Katima Mulilo abattoir was given to Zambezi Meat Corporation (ZAMCO) to operate.
Last week the Namibia National Farmers' Union (NNFU) president Jason Emvula said the pressure on NCA farmers was high because cattle numbers now stood at 1.6 million and overgrazing was extensive. The farmers have not had abattoirs since September 2016 when Meatco closed shop. It is now using a mobile slaughter unit in the area.
In August last year Mutorwa announced that the two abattoirs would resume operations by November last year. Emvula said farmers were excited and ready to sell their cattle, and now they were desperate to find a market.
ILENI NANDJATO
Mutorwa has claimed that thousands of farmers in the Northern Communal Areas (NCA) are suffering because of Goeiemann, “who has been playing and continues to play the delay game since September 2016”.
For his part, Goeiemann maintains that there is no delay, and things are being done professionally.
While responding to the Namibian Sun's article 'NCA farmers in limbo', Mutorwa sympathised with farmers and accused Goeiemann of not feeling the suffering of the farmers by delaying the opening of the two abattoirs for reasons known only to him.
Mutorwa emphasised that the delays had nothing to do with money, as his ministry had budgeted for the repairs.
“It is not a question of money, but, in my considered view, an attitudinal problem, non-empathetic and uncaring attitude from some government officials, who do not have feelings for the suffering of the affected farmers at heart, for reasons unknown to my ministry,” fumed Mutorwa.
An incensed Mutorwa said that, before the signing of abattoirs leasing agreement in August 2016, his ministry contacted Burmeister and Partners to do technical evaluation and inspections of the two government abattoirs. He said the consultants finished their work on time and submitted their report to him as required.
Mutorwa said based on that report, they appointed a contractor to do the required repair work as a matter of urgency.
“The works ministry through its permanent secretary intervened and advised that the contractor cannot and may not be appointed solely on the basis of the said report. They insisted that the works ministry engineers must do their own technical evaluation, on the basis of which a contractor may then be appointed,” Mutorwa explained.
Mutorwa questioned why Goeiemann could not speed up this process.
“These delaying tactics have been played, and continue to be played, since September 2016 until the present, despite my ministry's protestation and thousands of NCA farmers suffering.”
Goeiemann denied these allegations, saying he was not consulted from the outset and only came to know about the abattoirs in September last year. He said they have been working around the clock to finish two bills of quantities.
“These are technical activities. They take time and one cannot just finish them in a day. We started in September and we could not go on holiday just because we are committed to the task,” Goeiemann said.
He said they were completing one bill of quantity yesterday, while another one would be completed today, to be submitted to the agriculture ministry.
Goeiemann said he was not the one who intervened in the process, but that the ministry was referred to him by the attorney-general.
“The agriculture ministry went to the attorney-general for the lease agreement contracts and they were advised that I have to sign each one. They brought them to me to sign, but I cannot just sign something I do not know about since I was not consulted. That is why I sent our engineers to do the evaluation,” Goeiemann said.
Mutorwa announced that the abattoirs would be run by private businesses, with the Oshakati abattoir having been given to KIAT Investment Holdings, while the Katima Mulilo abattoir was given to Zambezi Meat Corporation (ZAMCO) to operate.
Last week the Namibia National Farmers' Union (NNFU) president Jason Emvula said the pressure on NCA farmers was high because cattle numbers now stood at 1.6 million and overgrazing was extensive. The farmers have not had abattoirs since September 2016 when Meatco closed shop. It is now using a mobile slaughter unit in the area.
In August last year Mutorwa announced that the two abattoirs would resume operations by November last year. Emvula said farmers were excited and ready to sell their cattle, and now they were desperate to find a market.
ILENI NANDJATO
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