Justicia Shipena
The High Court has placed Linden Beef Close Corporation under final liquidation after the company failed to appear in court during a winding-up hearing held in Windhoek yesterday.
High Court judge Beatrix de Jager issued the order.
“The respondent is placed under a final order of winding-up,” De Jager ruled.
Linden Beef had already been placed under provisional liquidation on 8 August 2025.
The matter returned to court for a final hearing after several postponements.
The company had legal representation when the case was postponed on 3 December 2025.
The court noted that notices of the hearing were properly served on the company and its sole member, David Strauss van der Linden, by the deputy sheriff.
Despite receiving notice, Linden Beef did not appear in court.
De Jager ruled that the circumstances justified granting the relief sought by Bank Windhoek and confirmed the provisional liquidation order.
The court also ruled that legal costs linked to the liquidation application, including earlier condonation proceedings, would form part of the winding-up process.
Last year, Bank Windhoek launched an application in the High Court arguing that the company was unable to pay its debts.
Bank Windhoek said Linden Beef owed the bank about N$28.4 million, excluding interest.
The debt relates to several loan agreements, instalment sale agreements and credit facilities entered into between 2022 and 2024.
The debt includes commercial loans, instalment agreements and credit facilities ranging from about N$120 000 to N$13.2 million.
Bank Windhoek argued that both Linden Beef and Cathral Investments Eighteen CC were commercially insolvent and unable to meet day-to-day financial obligations.
Cathral Investments stood surety for Linden Beef’s debt and owns Farm Eendrag No. 374 in the Otjozondjupa region, measuring more than 4 897 hectares.
The farm was reportedly bought for about N$20.4 million and later used as security for mortgage bonds registered in favour of Bank Windhoek.
One mortgage bond secured N$22 million plus an additional N$4.4 million, while a second mortgage bond secured another N$2 million plus N$400 000.
Bank Windhoek argued that the farm’s value was not enough to fully settle the debt.
Court documents show the property was valued at between N$26.1 million and N$27.9 million under forced-sale conditions, while another valuation estimated it at about N$24.4 million.
The bank also claimed cannabis plants on the farm had not been fully eradicated, which could negatively affect the property’s value.
According to court papers, Bank Windhoek sent letters of demand to Linden Beef, Cathral Investments and Van der Linden in June and July 2025, demanding payment.
The companies allegedly failed to respond, settle the debt or provide security within the required period.
The bank said it later learnt that Van der Linden had been arrested and incarcerated, raising concerns that the farm had been left unattended.
Security company Security Knights was hired to monitor the property.
According to the filing, the security company found four farmworkers on the farm, signs of break-ins at the foreman’s house and main store, cannabis plants still growing on the property and more than 12 cattle that had starved to death.
Bank Windhoek also warned of possible theft and further livestock losses if urgent action were not taken.
The farm faced possible electricity disconnection due to an unpaid electricity bill of more than N$356 000, which could affect water pumps and place more cattle at risk.
Last year, High Court judge Andrew Corbett previously found that Linden Beef reportedly had assets valued at about N$35 million and liabilities exceeding N$90 million, leaving a deficit of more than N$55 million.
Cathral Investments reportedly had assets worth about N$34.9 million and liabilities exceeding N$56 million, leaving a deficit of more than N$21 million.
At that time, the court ruled that the companies failed to provide evidence showing they could service their debts or successfully oppose liquidation.
Van der Linden is also embroiled in the disappearance of 400 cattle worth about N$7 million from the Linden Beef feedlot, which was meant for the Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco).
Police arrested him and two others in May last year after the discovery of a cannabis plantation near Hochfeld reportedly valued at about N$52 million.
Meatco had contracted Linden Beef to feed cattle bought south of the veterinary cordon fence (redline) before slaughter at Meatco’s Windhoek abattoir.
