Itula outlines plan to deal with red line
• ‘We shall deal it a blow’
If voted into power, the IPC government will ensure there are proper checks and balances in place regarding the farming of animals north of the VCF.
Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) leader Dr Panduleni Itula says his party will remove the veterinary cordon fence (VCF) once in power, adding that veterinary controls will mitigate any potential adverse effects.
He made the vow during a recent party rally in Helao Nafidi.
The VCF, also known as the red line, is a stock disease control mechanism that currently separates Namibia’s northern agricultural markets from the rest of the country.
Cattle farmers north of the VCF are unable to sell their agricultural products south of the fence where they can fetch competitive prices.
“The red line, we shall deal it a blow, definitely, in an IPC-led government,” Itula vowed.
Outlining his plans to deal with the VCF, he said the IPC government would ensure there were proper checks and balances in place regarding the farming of animals north of the VCF.
“We shall ensure the barrier for meat is removed by ensuring that animals in the north of the cordon have properly recorded health checks and vaccinations." This will allow farmers to trade throughout Namibia and the rest of the world, he said in response to questions from Namibian Sun.
“Further, the regulation of Namibian farmers’ cattle in Angola will allow for such to be brought into the general food market,” he added.
Continuous movement
The Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) explained the issues concerning the northern communal areas, which fall north of the VCF.
“A problem affecting Namibia’s northern regions is the difficulty of controlling stock diseases on the Angolan border. While proposals to move the fence to the Angolan border have been considered in the past, it remains impractical because of the continuous movement of family livestock herds across the Namibian-Angolan border,” it said.
Affirmative Repositioning (AR) activist Job Amupanda filed a case on 26 May 2021 seeking a court order to have the VCF removed and declared illegal and unconstitutional.
He listed agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein, the government, Attorney-General Festus Mbandeka and an official in the directorate of veterinary services, Hango Nambinga, as defendants in the matter.
The Meat Board of Namibia has been added as a defendant after it asked for leave to intervene, while two commercial farmers have joined as third parties. The Namibia Agricultural Union has also joined as a defendant.
The case continues to drag on, with proceedings adjourned until February 2024.
He made the vow during a recent party rally in Helao Nafidi.
The VCF, also known as the red line, is a stock disease control mechanism that currently separates Namibia’s northern agricultural markets from the rest of the country.
Cattle farmers north of the VCF are unable to sell their agricultural products south of the fence where they can fetch competitive prices.
“The red line, we shall deal it a blow, definitely, in an IPC-led government,” Itula vowed.
Outlining his plans to deal with the VCF, he said the IPC government would ensure there were proper checks and balances in place regarding the farming of animals north of the VCF.
“We shall ensure the barrier for meat is removed by ensuring that animals in the north of the cordon have properly recorded health checks and vaccinations." This will allow farmers to trade throughout Namibia and the rest of the world, he said in response to questions from Namibian Sun.
“Further, the regulation of Namibian farmers’ cattle in Angola will allow for such to be brought into the general food market,” he added.
Continuous movement
The Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) explained the issues concerning the northern communal areas, which fall north of the VCF.
“A problem affecting Namibia’s northern regions is the difficulty of controlling stock diseases on the Angolan border. While proposals to move the fence to the Angolan border have been considered in the past, it remains impractical because of the continuous movement of family livestock herds across the Namibian-Angolan border,” it said.
Affirmative Repositioning (AR) activist Job Amupanda filed a case on 26 May 2021 seeking a court order to have the VCF removed and declared illegal and unconstitutional.
He listed agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein, the government, Attorney-General Festus Mbandeka and an official in the directorate of veterinary services, Hango Nambinga, as defendants in the matter.
The Meat Board of Namibia has been added as a defendant after it asked for leave to intervene, while two commercial farmers have joined as third parties. The Namibia Agricultural Union has also joined as a defendant.
The case continues to drag on, with proceedings adjourned until February 2024.
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