The Northern Tannery at Ondangwa and the Nkurenkuru Garment Factory in Kavango West have remained non-operational since their inaugurations a few years ago, it has been revealed.
The factories’ status came under scrutiny during the National Council Standing Committee on Public Accounts and Economy’s regional oversight visit.
The Committee has been assessing agro-processing development projects across the //Kharas, Oshana, Zambezi, Kavango West and Otjozondjupa regions.
The projects, funded under Vote 19 of the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade, are intended to promote industrialisation and enhance socio-economic development.
“The purpose of the oversight visits is to assess progress made towards the implementation of activities executed under the agro-processing development projects budgeted under Vote 19 of the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade and implemented by the Namibia Industrial Development Agency (NIDA). It further appraises the socio-economic impact of activities implemented under the Agro Processing Development Projects,” it was reported.
According to the Director in the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade, Pinehas Shinyala, the Northern Tannery has been dormant for nearly three years.
Officials highlighted the project’s struggles, including logistical hurdles, unutilised funds and a lack of consistent investors.
Shinyala further explained that the N$500,000 allocated to the tannery remains unused, while critical machinery deteriorates due to inactivity. Meanwhile, efforts to secure investors have also faltered.
An Italian businessman expressed interest in reviving the tannery but withdrew due to unresolved negotiations and insufficient support.
“The distances between towns in the northern regions and dispersed communities make the collection of skins challenging. This logistical issue must be resolved to ensure a steady supply of raw materials,” he said.
Similarly, the Nkurenkuru Garment Factory, inaugurated in December 2022 by former Vice President Nangolo Mbumba, remains non-operational over a year later.
The factory, designed to boost the local economy and create jobs, has been plagued by management inefficiencies, a lack of technical expertise, and reliance on advanced machinery that requires unavailable specialised software.
“Because of the size of the Namibian sector, engineers are expensive, and you can’t have a small factory and employ an expensive engineer solely for that factory,” Shinyala said.
Additionally, the Namibia Industrial Development Agency, tasked with managing the projects, has faced criticism for failing to address these operational issues.
