Silence over controversial Zambezi tobacco plantation

Zambezi Governor Lawrence Sampofu says nothing has been heard since last year from the company behind a planned N$1- billion tobacco and maize project in the region.
The company, Namibia Oriental Tobacco, belongs to Oshikoto Swapo Party regional coordinator Armas Amukwiyu and Chinese business partners.
Sampofu said the land was available for the project to go ahead and he did not understand why the company was not communicating its plans.
The Mafwe Traditional Authority gave the company 10 000 hectares of land for the project, based on promises of the creation of 3 000 permanent jobs.
The project has been granted Export Processing Zone status and a feasibility study has been completed.
When contacted for comment yesterday, Amukwiyu said the company was not ready to share any information on the status of the project, but it was “still on”.
He declined to say what was delaying the project.
Sampofu said there are no parties from the region opposing the project as he was informed that tobacco is only harvested from November to March.
He added that the company was advised that it should not use the whole 10 000 hectares for tobacco.
When asked whether Namibia Oriental Tobacco could lose the land if it didn’t use it, he said it was a matter of first come, first served.
“Whoever has a project of food production can get the land but for now we are giving them time,” Sampofu said.
He added that the region was committed to give land to investors interested in food production that would benefit the region and the country.

KENYA KAMBOWE