Meatco Board co-opted members appointed
Meatco held its 31st Annual General Meeting a fortnight ago at the Wanderers Sports Club in Windhoek where co-opted directors were appointed.
The three appointed co-opted directors are Dr. Diana Van Schalkwyk, Silas Shakumu and Edwin Beukes.
Van Schalkwyk who is well known in the Meat industry holds a PhD in Food Science from the University of Stellenbosch. She has focused in market and product development research, brand communication, corporate image and strategic planning.
Shakumu, is a legal practitioner with a LLB Degree from the University of Western Cape. His main specialisation is corporate governance, intellectual properties law, labour law, civil and criminal law.
Beukes, who is a financial expert and chartered accountant by profession and a senior audit manager of one of the global four accounting firms. He currently owns his own accounting firm after a accounting career in the public and private sector.
Also at the event two new directors, Mushokobanji Mwilima and Stephanus Oosthuizen were introduced. Mwilima representing the communal farmers is the current Executive Director of the Namibian National Farmers Unions (NNFU) which represents all communal farmers across Namibia. Mwilima has been credited through his expertise in management, leadership and corporate governance in restoring the NNFU as a respected entity.
Stephanus Oosthuizen, a widely respected commercial farmer in country and has also been involved in organized agriculture in Namibia over 4 decades and is a previous winner of the Meatco Producer of the year.
“We had to take the bold and very decisive move in order to infuse the corporation with special skills from respected, tried and tested experts because we cannot do it by ourselves. We already reaping the benefits of having these colleagues join us,” said Meatco Board Chairperson Dr Martha Namundjembo-Tilahun.
Meanwhile Namundjembo-Tilahun at the event highlighted that the industry and corporation is currently facing tough economic times and challenges which includes the drought and the decline in cattle numbers.
Acting Chief Executive Officer Ingo Schneider, reported to the meeting that the Group recorded a net profit for the year amounting to N$19.2 million, while the revenue decreased by 8.5 % year on year.
The Annual General Meeting deliberated issues and strategies to secure Meatco’s future and to review its 2016/2017 financial performance. Namundjembo-Tilahun urged Meatco members to ponder about the sustainability of fellow countrymen.
“Farming is not for the faint hearted and with these conditions, we are seriously facing a real threat to the viability of being a producer under the prevailing market and economic conditions,” she said.
Namundjembo-Tilahun further emphasised that the Meatco board has an obligation to exercise their mandate in line with the requirements as set forth in the Meatco Act to strategically guide the corporation as well as protecting the nations’ and producers’ interest by ensuring transparency, good governance and technical soundness.
Namundjebu-Tilahun said this following accusations of foul play on the introduction of the new board members as well as the co-opted members to the meeting.
Meanwhile, a legal overview of the Meatco act was introduced by Peter Kazongominya being a member of Meatco. The motion wanted the AGM to vote whether the current Board appointed was procedural correct and in line with the provisions of the Meatco Act as enforced by the Minister.
