KATIMA MULILO – The government has made efforts to repurpose the Katima-Liselo farm as a correctional facility for food production at Katima Mulilo.
The farm, which has been a white elephant until now, is situated between the Zambezi Vocational Training Centre and the Wenela Border Post.
It has been idle for more than 20 years without production.
Deputy Prime Minister John Mutorwa, alongside home affairs’ minister Albert Kawana, jointly officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony on Friday for the farm, which is under the custodianship of the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS).
This follows Cabinet’s 2023 decision to allocate the 420-hectare Katima farm to the home affairs’ ministry under the NCS department.
Once the farmland is ready, inmates will work on the land to alleviate food insecurity in the country.
“We are taking a bold step towards making the impossible possible. I am happy to note that this facility will not only provide a secure environment for individuals serving their
sentences, but will also play a vital role in producing food which will contribute to the food, security of our country,” Mutorwa said.
He noted that the project exemplifies the government’s dedication to transforming prisons into productive centres that enhance national food security objectives.
This initiative supports the National Development Plan 5 and the Global Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 2, which aims for zero hunger.
Although food production is not a key mandate of the NCS, Mutorwa said the department has identified the need to impart agricultural skills for inmates’ rehabilitation and reintegration as well as to attain food self-sufficiency, to which it has been performing “satisfactorily”.
Mutorwa applauded the NCS for having recorded key achievements around food production, whereby food items such as maize meal, bread, pork and vegetables were consistently supplied for inmates’ rations, and to the Namibian Police to feed suspects under its care.
“This is being done with the intention of reducing its food budget, and saving the state on the cost of feeding inmates. Despite these significant achievements, the NCS continues to face several challenges in its agricultural initiatives. Issues such as armyworm outbreaks and theft have notably impacted maize production, while wild birds have affected wheat yields,” he continued.
The facility is expected to cultivate approximately 420 hectares of arable land, focussing on cereals such as maize, wheat and sunflower, as well as a variety of fruits and vegetables.
In addition, the project will add value by processing maize into maize meal, sunflower into cooking oil, and producing Max-A-Meal
and animal feed.
On his part, Kawana recounted how the farmland used to be productive before independence.
He is optimistic that it will once again flourish under the custodianship of the NCS.
“We want to show those colonialists who were referring to us as terrorists and were stealing their maize that today it is our land and farm,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Kabbe North constituency councillor Bernhard Sisamu, who stood in for regional governor Lawrence Sampofu, highlighted that the region still lacks a productive green scheme.
“We have been waiting for this event for so long. We are without any green scheme. We depended on Kalimbeza. We are hopeful the NCS will turn it around to produce food and create jobs for Zambezi,” he observed.
The project will be carried out in phases, including fencing, rehabilitation of infrastructure (accommodation for inmates and staff), and crop production.
Clearing and debushing already commenced on 28 July this year, with the clearing of the 13.2-kilometre cutline for the fence done by the National Youth Service.
The clearing was completed on 19 September.