Delegates of the Meatco Board of Directors and the Meat Board of Namibia's Directors

Meatco Board Chairperson, Johnnie Hamman and Meat Board Deputy Chairperson, Dr Archie Norval on the left.

On 16 September 2020, the Meatco Board of Directors was invited by the Meat Board of Namibia’s (MBN) Directors for a courtesy visit.

The purpose of the meeting was to touch base with the new Meatco Board to open the floor for further meetings on crucial matters hampering the meat industry.

At the meeting, the Meat Board’s Deputy Chairperson, Dr Archie Norval, welcomed the Meatco Board of Directors and expressed that this was the opportune time to meet and have cross-fertilisation. He further shared that the courtesy meeting was the first of many ongoing meetings, which he believed was befitting to start off on the right footing and acquaint themselves with each other.

Additionally, Meatco Board of Directors Chairperson, Johnnie Hamman, highlighted that it was a privilege for him and his board members to have received this courtesy call from the Meat Board’s Directors.

“I see this as a start of a cooperation between our two boards and I would, therefore, like us to be open and share ideas with each other which we can discuss further in our formal meeting that will follow-up shortly,” Hamman said.

At the meeting, the Chairperson introduced each Meatco Board member and informed the Meat Board Directors that the Minister of Public Enterprises, Hon. Leon Jooste, has officially notified his board of the appointments of a further three permanent members all hailing from the Northern Communal Area (NCA). The new board members will each be presenting the Zambezi, Kavango and the four O-regions namely, Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Oshana and Omusati. He further shared that his board has not yet had the opportunity to meet the new members and hope to meet them at their next board meeting scheduled for the coming week. In total, the Meatco Board now has nine members who all have voting rights.

Hamman, furthermore, shared that the board is also planning to appoint co-opted members provided for in the Meatco Act, for in three identified areas of expertise such as, chartered accountancy, and human resources due to the changes in the Public Enterprises Governance Act (PEGA) and an expert on the PEGA.

“This position is pivotal now that Meatco falls under the Ministry of PE since 16 December 2019 and the need to comply with the Meat Corporation Act and PEGA is great. Therefore, it must be understood that the law books around us have risen from a small act to a large substantial legislation. These co-opted members will not necessarily serve a three-year team but will assist this Meatco Board in times that we need their expertise,” Hamman concluded.  

Dr Norval concluded that the Meat Board has been the initiator of a common agricultural vision in Namibia. Therefore, Hamman speaking to that common lays the foundation of achieving the success of that vision.

The two boards are planning a follow-up meeting soon to deliberate on matters such as setting up a task force team that will tackle pertinent agricultural matters hindering the success of the meat industry and on the 40/90 days regulation pertaining to the direct marketing of animals from the communal areas South of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (SVCF) for slaughter at the export abattoir.