Outjo protests Chinese donkey abattoir
A newly formed Outjo residents' group on Friday handed over a petition protesting the sale of land to a Chinese company that intends to build a donkey slaughterhouse at the town.
The sale, which locals criticised sharply for its lack of transparency, led to the formation of the Outjo Community Committee (OCC) last week, with the aim of tackling the sale of land and the abattoir. Members of the OCC have appointed a legal advisor and say this is the first of several issues they intend to tackle as a community.
The OCC has demanded that the municipality provide feedback on when and where the land was advertised and to indicate whether the company representative, known as 'Mr Chendabiek' is in Namibia legally.
The OCC furthermore demands to know why the land for the abattoir was cleared before the sale was made public and why no public consultations on the abattoir have taken place to date.
“We are not happy with the way the municipality is dealing with this matter. There has been no transparency and we have a right to know what is going on. It is after all the people living in Outjo who will have to live with this development,” residents noted in the minutes of the first committee meeting last week.
The petition was launched in February, when news about the sale of land to Fuhai Enterprise, a company represented by a Chinese national, came to light. To date, more than 1 600 people have signed the petition.
The petition states that the north-western town “does not want to be part of the donkey skin trade and trafficking to China” and points out that according to the business plan submitted by the Chinese, the abattoir plans to slaughter 120 animals per day, which could lead to a steep rise in donkey thefts and animal cruelty in the country, among numerous other concerns.
The petition warns that Outjo has often been cited as one of Namibia's hotspots for poaching syndicates, and that the choice of location of the abattoir could likely act as a “front for other illegal activities.”
The donkey skin trade has received increasing attention in recent years. Many countries in Africa have banned the export or slaughtering of donkeys after initially having approved it because the donkey population was decimated by organised trafficking of their hides to China, the petition states.
A survey cited by the community found that Namibia's donkey population currently stands at about 150 000.
“If, as per their business plan, they slaughter 120 donkeys per day, our donkeys will be exterminated within three-and-a-half years. What will be slaughtered then?” Outjo community members asked.
Members of the OCC elected by residents last week include Lucky Nangombe, Phillimon Sheya, Jaco Muller, Corrie Smit, Maria Diekmann, Steven Maseka and Lindie Prinsloo.
Zayne Koortz was given a mandate to act on behalf of the Outjo community committee, to respond and correspond with the Outjo Municipality.
Residents have also asked that the municipality inform them whether an environmental impact assessment was conducted, or will be conducted, for the location of the abattoir, the use of natural resources to run the abattoir, including water, and the running of the abattoir.
According to the Abattoirs Association in Namibia, around 2 500 litres of water is needed to slaughter one animal and it is estimated that in line with this Fuhai Enterprise will require at least 300 000 litres of water per day, amounting to 90 million litres of water per month.
Moreover, residents want to know whether groundwater contamination had been investigated by the municipality before the abattoir was given the green light.
“In Outjo, we also use groundwater sourced from boreholes. What will happen if our water supply is depleted or poisoned? Can the municipality guarantee this will not happen?” the residents asked at the meeting last week.
According to the company intending to build the donkey abattoir, the donkeys they will slaughter will be imported from Botswana and the Kavango regions of Namibia, raising concerns about the spreading of animal diseases and who will monitor the imports.
The meeting of the OCC last week looked at evidence that indicates that donkey populations around the world are increasingly under threat by a growing trade in “ejiao”, a gelatine that is made from donkey skin.
The sale, which locals criticised sharply for its lack of transparency, led to the formation of the Outjo Community Committee (OCC) last week, with the aim of tackling the sale of land and the abattoir. Members of the OCC have appointed a legal advisor and say this is the first of several issues they intend to tackle as a community.
The OCC has demanded that the municipality provide feedback on when and where the land was advertised and to indicate whether the company representative, known as 'Mr Chendabiek' is in Namibia legally.
The OCC furthermore demands to know why the land for the abattoir was cleared before the sale was made public and why no public consultations on the abattoir have taken place to date.
“We are not happy with the way the municipality is dealing with this matter. There has been no transparency and we have a right to know what is going on. It is after all the people living in Outjo who will have to live with this development,” residents noted in the minutes of the first committee meeting last week.
The petition was launched in February, when news about the sale of land to Fuhai Enterprise, a company represented by a Chinese national, came to light. To date, more than 1 600 people have signed the petition.
The petition states that the north-western town “does not want to be part of the donkey skin trade and trafficking to China” and points out that according to the business plan submitted by the Chinese, the abattoir plans to slaughter 120 animals per day, which could lead to a steep rise in donkey thefts and animal cruelty in the country, among numerous other concerns.
The petition warns that Outjo has often been cited as one of Namibia's hotspots for poaching syndicates, and that the choice of location of the abattoir could likely act as a “front for other illegal activities.”
The donkey skin trade has received increasing attention in recent years. Many countries in Africa have banned the export or slaughtering of donkeys after initially having approved it because the donkey population was decimated by organised trafficking of their hides to China, the petition states.
A survey cited by the community found that Namibia's donkey population currently stands at about 150 000.
“If, as per their business plan, they slaughter 120 donkeys per day, our donkeys will be exterminated within three-and-a-half years. What will be slaughtered then?” Outjo community members asked.
Members of the OCC elected by residents last week include Lucky Nangombe, Phillimon Sheya, Jaco Muller, Corrie Smit, Maria Diekmann, Steven Maseka and Lindie Prinsloo.
Zayne Koortz was given a mandate to act on behalf of the Outjo community committee, to respond and correspond with the Outjo Municipality.
Residents have also asked that the municipality inform them whether an environmental impact assessment was conducted, or will be conducted, for the location of the abattoir, the use of natural resources to run the abattoir, including water, and the running of the abattoir.
According to the Abattoirs Association in Namibia, around 2 500 litres of water is needed to slaughter one animal and it is estimated that in line with this Fuhai Enterprise will require at least 300 000 litres of water per day, amounting to 90 million litres of water per month.
Moreover, residents want to know whether groundwater contamination had been investigated by the municipality before the abattoir was given the green light.
“In Outjo, we also use groundwater sourced from boreholes. What will happen if our water supply is depleted or poisoned? Can the municipality guarantee this will not happen?” the residents asked at the meeting last week.
According to the company intending to build the donkey abattoir, the donkeys they will slaughter will be imported from Botswana and the Kavango regions of Namibia, raising concerns about the spreading of animal diseases and who will monitor the imports.
The meeting of the OCC last week looked at evidence that indicates that donkey populations around the world are increasingly under threat by a growing trade in “ejiao”, a gelatine that is made from donkey skin.
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