Kavango regions seek green scheme dialogue
RUNDU – The leadership in the two Kavango regions have requested an audience with the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Calle Schlettwein on the revitalisation of all green schemes in the country, saying they are in a vacuum regarding the new plans.
A letter (seen by Nampa) addressed to Schlettwein, drafted by the chairperson of the Kavango East Regional Council Damian Maghambayi on 17 May, says the leadership is pleased with the decision Cabinet took to discontinue the contractual agreement with the Agricultural Business Development Agency (Agribusdev).
“The two regions have also been following the developments regarding government’s intention to revitalise the green schemes by outsourcing the management of the schemes through national bidding,” the letter reads.
Maghambayi said statistically the two Kavango regions have the highest number of green schemes, however, the regional leadership is in a vacuum regarding the new approach to revitalise the failed green scheme projects.
It is against this background, he explains, that the two regional representatives at its joint meeting held on 25 April this year resolved to invite Schlettwein for an engagement on the envisaged revitalisation of the green schemes.
The meeting between the regional leadership and Schlettwein is proposed to take place on 27 May at the Kavango East Regional Council.
The leadership further called on Schlettwein to put on hold all procurement processes regarding the outsourcing of the green schemes in the two regions, until they have exhausted discussions with the minister.
In March this year, Schlettwein told potential investors in Dubai that the government would in June 2022 issue a request for proposals to lease out 11 green schemes.
He said this while speaking at the Namibia Investment Summit, where the government was attempting to solicit foreign direct investments for the country.
Schlettwein said investment opportunities abound in both green scheme and brown scheme projects for which land is already secured.
The government has developed a total of 11 green scheme projects, which it now intends to rent out to the private sector.
These schemes used to be under the management of Agribusdev, but the government resolved to liquidate the agency - returning the green schemes to the State.
In Dubai, Schlettwein said the schemes cover approximately 9 000 hectares.
They are the Hardap, Etunda, Musese, Orange River, Sikondo, Vhungu-Vhungu, Ndonga Linena, Mashare, Shadikongoro, Kalimbeza and Shitemo green scheme farms.