Staff Writer
Material differences including issues to-do with the direction of the company have seen Chairperson of the Meatco board, Johnnie Hamman, his deputy Clara Bohitile and Kay Dieter Rumpf tendering their resignations.
Their resignations which are with immediate effect, came after the meat processor’s board meeting last Thursday. Public Enterprises Minister, Leon Jooste, appointed the current board of directors in terms of the Meat Corporation of Namibia Act of 2001 for a term of three years.
Hamman and Bohitile were nominated by Meatco members in the category “Expert “in terms of Section 5(1) d and Rumpf in the category “Commercial Farmer “in terms of Section 5(1) c of the Act. Bohitile also served as Chairperson of Meatco’s Board’s Audit and Risk Committee, while Rumpf also served as the Chairperson of the Meatco UK Board of Directors, a subsidiary of Meatco and served on the Audit and Risk and Human Resource Committees respectively.
After the resignations, the Meatco board is now made up of Mesag Mulunga, Cloretha Garises, Usiel Kandjii, Helena Mavetera, Adolf Muremi, Maria Kabuku and co-opted board members, Shiwana Ndeunyema, Fanuel Tjivau and Kishi Shakumu.
Meatco is currently exploring new markets for beef in the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs) and plans to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) after a recent visit by a delegation to Accra, Ghana, following a trade mission facilitated by the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (MIRCO).
Meatco is mandated to serve, promote and coordinate the interests of livestock producers in Namibia, and strive for the stabilisation of the local meat industry in the national interest. The Corporation is also mandated to market products within Namibia, or elsewhere to the best advantage of the producers of livestock in Namibia, among others.
