The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources visited green scheme projects in the Zambezi, Kavango East, and Kavango West regions.
The visit aimed to assess the operational viability of the projects amid reports of non-productivity and dormancy.
The assessment would also inform whether the government should allow foreign investors to bid for managing the green schemes.
During the visit, the committee noted concerns raised by the Chief Regional Officer, constituency councillors, and officials of the Zambezi Regional Council regarding delays in projects such as the Liselo plot, a 1,800-hectare piece of land allocated for a green scheme.
Phase one of this project, completed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform at a cost of N$40 million, included constructing an electrified fence and de-bushing.
However, due to delays, a significant portion of the fence was vandalised as community members sought grazing land for their livestock.
"The failure of green schemes was a result of the business model introduced by AgriBusDev, where management sits in Windhoek and the projects are out in the regions. Management must first apply or request quotations through Windhoek for just a spare plug or a battery for a tractor, for example. Lack of accountability, no maintenance plan, and defective implements and equipment by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform; inconsistency in keeping of government assets; no allocation of operational funds to green schemes; and delays in paying services rendered to green schemes such as water and electricity" were some of the concerns noted by the committee, said Swapo Party MP Vincent Mareka.
Other concerns raised were at the Shadikongoro Green Scheme project, where, despite initial success, the committee noted that maize milling was outsourced, contradicting the project's original intent.
They questioned the government's plan to invite foreign investors to run green schemes, arguing that locals are capable of managing them.
Members of parliament made their contributions to the report.
According to Swapo MP Tjekero Tweya, "Indonga Ilena was an example where for four years they were unproductive, and even the employees were saying we feel even guilty every month. We get paid salaries, but we are not working. And only after that report last year, after four years, they then started with the production. It's because of those findings by the committee."
Republican Party MP Lucia Tjiveze raised the issue of systems not working as they should. "Sometimes the systems are not working, such as the system for procurement. Why I'm saying that because when you want to plant in a season, the seeds that people acquire through the procurement office come late, and there is a shortage of water. There are rivers in the Kavango East and West, but they find it difficult to access this water."
Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security Minister Dr. Albert Kawana also contributed to the debate, encouraging the nation to "Utilise the land to the maximum; we need to utilise the current green schemes to the maximum. I was very impressed to see in Oshikondo lots of water, which would be really useful in drought situations like this."