Niël Terblanché
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform announced the appointment of new members to the Veterinary Council of Namibia.
The inauguration ceremony, held in Windhoek on Friday, was presided over by Deputy Minister Anna Shiweda, who highlighted the crucial role the Council plays in regulating veterinary standards across the country.
Shiweda pointed out that the Namibian Veterinary Council is a statutory body mandated to oversee and regulate the standards of both veterinary and para-veterinary professions in Namibia.
“It is my privilege to preside over the inauguration of the fourth Namibian Veterinary Council appointed since the promulgation of the Veterinary and Veterinary Para-professions Act, 1 of 2013,” she said.
She noted the importance of regulating these professions to ensure that the quality of veterinary care available to the public meets acceptable standards.
This regulation ensures that veterinarians and para-professionals are adequately qualified and competent to perform their duties, whether they are involved in companion animal care, promoting food security through commercial farming, or protecting public health through food safety initiatives and addressing antimicrobial resistance.
The newly appointed members of the Veterinary Council of Namibia are Dr Anna Marais, Suné de Klerk, Malaika Liesel Tyrid Loschke, Dr Paul Set, Dr Veronica Amunyela, Dr Alexandra Marko, Emmanuel Kamutyatsha Matheus and Dr Detlef Maggraff
The Council, which will serve until 2027, has been entrusted with several key responsibilities. Among its primary functions are the regulation of veterinary and para-veterinary practice, the registration of practitioners, and the determination of the minimum standards for training and education in these fields.
The Deputy Minister said that the Council is also tasked with exercising effective control over professional conduct, promoting efficiency and responsibility within the profession, and maintaining the prestige and dignity of veterinary practice in Namibia.
Shiweda reminded the newly appointed Council members of the significant responsibilities they were about to undertake.
“You have been elected by your peers to serve on the Namibian Veterinary Council, and with that selection comes a great responsibility, not only to your colleagues who practice the professions of veterinarian and veterinary para-professional but also to the people of the Republic of Namibia,” she said.
She urged the new members to adhere to the oath they took during the ceremony and to let it guide their decisions and actions as council members.
“Although each one of you functions in your own specific sector of the profession when it comes to matters of veterinary law and the maintenance of those standards by which you are all expected to adhere to by the world, you are first and foremost members of the council,” she said.
Shiweda stressed the necessity for the Council members to fully commit their time and effort to their duties to successfully execute their mandate.
“For this council to successfully execute its mandate, the members must fully commit their time and effort to these duties,” she said.
According to Shiweda, the newly appointed members are expected to uphold the standards set by the Council and contribute to the advancement of the veterinary profession in Namibia, ensuring that both the public and animals benefit from high-quality veterinary care.
