Taimi Haihambo 

Oshana Governor Hofni Iipinge has reiterated calls for reviving the long-abandoned Oshakati Eloolo Abattoir, calling its inactivity a significant setback to the region’s agricultural and economic development. 

The once-promising abattoir, now silent and overgrown, stands as a stark reminder of unfulfilled potential in one of Namibia’s key regional economic hubs. 

Oshakati serves more than 150 000 residents, and Iipinge said the neglect of such vital infrastructure denies communities jobs and market opportunities. 

“I have brought these matters to the attention of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Inge Zaamwani, with a request for urgent action to restore their productive use,” Iipinge said. 

The Eloolo Abattoir was reopened in 2020 by the former minister of agriculture, Calle Schlettwein, four years after its closure in 2016. 

The revival was part of a joint venture between KIAT Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd and China’s Ningbo Agriculture Investment Group (Pty) Ltd. 

At the time, Schlettwein hailed the reopening as a major step toward empowering northern communal farmers and developing the beef value chain in Namibia’s communal areas. 

However, just two years later, the facility closed again, forcing 42 employees out of work and leaving livestock farmers without a reliable market. 

Local farmers attribute the closure partly to drought conditions, limited grazing land, and water scarcity, which made consistent operations difficult. Over the years, farmers have lost livestock due to these challenges and the lack of a sustainable market. 

Iipinge’s renewed appeal follows a similar effort by former governor Elia Irimari, who also pushed for the abattoir’s reopening as a driver for rural economic growth. 

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