Green scheme mismanagement in the spotlight
Drastic action needed, report states
A parliamentary standing committee has criticised the state of green schemes in the country and their management under the agriculture ministry.
A new report by the parliamentary standing committee on natural resources has criticised the agriculture ministry for rampant mismanagement of green schemes in Zambezi, Kavango East and West regions.
The report highlighted a lack of oversight by the ministry, whether intentional or out of pure negligence and incompetence, following a visit to the sites in September 2022.
The committee's report refers to four years of no productivity, despite budgets still being allocated to the schemes. It also accuses the ministry of misleading parliament with “falsehoods” in their annual accountability reports during the national budget and of not visiting the schemes.
“This is equivalent to corruption, fraud, the waste of land and the theft of public resources,” the report states.
It warns that drastic action is needed “for this failure and the deception of parliament and the entire nation.”
Key findings
The committee noted that one of the main reasons for the on-site investigations was to determine the operational viability of the green schemes in light of reports that they were unproductive and mostly dormant.
Among the findings of the visit were that agricultural equipment is being stripped by officials without consequences or accountability, turning green schemes into scrapyards for expensive and sophisticated equipment.
There are delays in the payment of seasonal workers by the agriculture ministry and decisions are made by the ministry without consultation with farm managers, the report states.
Moreover, findings noted that the ministry makes unilateral decisions and that there is a lack of communication and coordination between stakeholders regarding the operation of the schemes.
The report refers to inconsistencies in the allocation of funds to the schemes as well as delays in the payment for services such as electricity and water that have been provided.
It questions the high electricity bills paid to Nored, regardless of whether the scheme is in production or not. The same applies to the high costs of transporting products for processing or sale. The report suggests that government should renegotiate with traditional authorities about the new terms and conditions of the green schemes and not make a unilateral decision "for its own failures."
It also suggests that the schemes be decentralised and that "skilled and dedicated" people be appointed to manage the schemes.
Flawed management
Referring to the schemes’ business model, which is centralised in Windhoek, the report states that it is meant to "strip the assets of the residents of Kavango West and East and enrich management".
The report uses an example where the government rents 1 500 hectares for a green scheme, irrigates 300 hectares, and pays only for the latter.
"The 1 200 hectares are unused, and the ministry refuses to pay, which is a very strange arrangement. The ministry refuses to return the unused 1 200 hectares to the traditional authority or the previous owners to be used for food production," the report states.
It also calls for the ministry to report on the Liselo project of 1 800 hectares earmarked for a green scheme in Zambezi, on which N$40 million has been spent to date, despite the fact that the land lies fallow and the fencing has been vandalised.
"The green schemes managed by the government are subject to a non-functioning bureaucratic system established by Agribusdev’s flawed business model. This is without considering the consequences of their actions or their lack of action."
- [email protected]
The report highlighted a lack of oversight by the ministry, whether intentional or out of pure negligence and incompetence, following a visit to the sites in September 2022.
The committee's report refers to four years of no productivity, despite budgets still being allocated to the schemes. It also accuses the ministry of misleading parliament with “falsehoods” in their annual accountability reports during the national budget and of not visiting the schemes.
“This is equivalent to corruption, fraud, the waste of land and the theft of public resources,” the report states.
It warns that drastic action is needed “for this failure and the deception of parliament and the entire nation.”
Key findings
The committee noted that one of the main reasons for the on-site investigations was to determine the operational viability of the green schemes in light of reports that they were unproductive and mostly dormant.
Among the findings of the visit were that agricultural equipment is being stripped by officials without consequences or accountability, turning green schemes into scrapyards for expensive and sophisticated equipment.
There are delays in the payment of seasonal workers by the agriculture ministry and decisions are made by the ministry without consultation with farm managers, the report states.
Moreover, findings noted that the ministry makes unilateral decisions and that there is a lack of communication and coordination between stakeholders regarding the operation of the schemes.
The report refers to inconsistencies in the allocation of funds to the schemes as well as delays in the payment for services such as electricity and water that have been provided.
It questions the high electricity bills paid to Nored, regardless of whether the scheme is in production or not. The same applies to the high costs of transporting products for processing or sale. The report suggests that government should renegotiate with traditional authorities about the new terms and conditions of the green schemes and not make a unilateral decision "for its own failures."
It also suggests that the schemes be decentralised and that "skilled and dedicated" people be appointed to manage the schemes.
Flawed management
Referring to the schemes’ business model, which is centralised in Windhoek, the report states that it is meant to "strip the assets of the residents of Kavango West and East and enrich management".
The report uses an example where the government rents 1 500 hectares for a green scheme, irrigates 300 hectares, and pays only for the latter.
"The 1 200 hectares are unused, and the ministry refuses to pay, which is a very strange arrangement. The ministry refuses to return the unused 1 200 hectares to the traditional authority or the previous owners to be used for food production," the report states.
It also calls for the ministry to report on the Liselo project of 1 800 hectares earmarked for a green scheme in Zambezi, on which N$40 million has been spent to date, despite the fact that the land lies fallow and the fencing has been vandalised.
"The green schemes managed by the government are subject to a non-functioning bureaucratic system established by Agribusdev’s flawed business model. This is without considering the consequences of their actions or their lack of action."
- [email protected]
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