Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Ruthy Masake has assured employees of the Zambezi Meat Corporation (ZamCo) abattoir in Katima Mulilo that outstanding salary payments will begin, following months of delayed payments and disruptions to operations.
Masake first met with ZamCO board members behind closed doors before addressing employees on the outcomes of their discussions.
She said the board had informed her that salary payments would commence, with employees who did not report for duty during periods of interrupted operations set to receive half their salaries.
Masake also said the board had presented a new investor and urged employees to give the investor an opportunity, adding that both management and workers have a responsibility to keep the abattoir operational.
"And then the positive that came from that meeting is the outstanding payment of the farmer is therefore to be paid off today. All the credit, so that made me ease my heart because the employees of ZamCo rely on their livelihood on the amount that they work for.
Masake later met with farmers in the region, who raised concerns about ZamCO's operations, employees' welfare and challenges facing the agricultural sector.
"If the ZamCo board does not know what they are doing, they must write a letter to the Cabinet. The Cabinet must give money to MeatCo to buy cattle here so that employees can receive their salaries; if they have failed, that is my proposal," said farmer Lenox Kulobone.
Farmer Immanuel Phiri adds, "We are in a drought now. Is there any type of support that the government has put in place to help farmers because we are facing a drought and are not able to sell cattle at the same time? Additionally, we are concerned about ZamCo employees. Despite not being an employee at ZamCo myself, we are concerned about ZamCo employees. We are asking whether ZamCo continues or not, and we ask that employees continue to receive what is due to them. Some of them are deceased; maybe financial stress contributed to that. You cannot go four months without a salary."
Some farmers called for changes to ZamCo's leadership, while emphasising the need to maintain the abattoir's operations.
They also urged the government to consider additional support for livestock farmers affected by drought, including the construction of canals to capture and store floodwaters for future use.
Water supply was another concern raised, with farmers calling for desalination services and expressing concern about the cost of water in rural communities where NamWater supplies are also used for livestock.
On Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), some farmers commended the Ministry's response but called on livestock owners to comply with vaccination requirements.
They also raised concerns about alleged non-compliance with FMD protocols by some regional leaders, saying this could undermine efforts to control the disease.