Mwilima Mushokobanji is the new Meatco CEO who takes over from Advocate Vekuui Rukoro who left in Dec. 2017.
He starts duty on 1 Feb. 2020. Mushokobanji is currently the executive director of the Namibia National Farmers’ Union.
Although the Meatco board chairperson Martha Namundjebo could neither confirm nor deny, public enterprises minister
Leon Jooste told New Era confirmed the appointment, saying it was a great challenge for Mushokobanji.
Rukoro was sent on forced leave in May 2017 pending an investigation against him after a livestock agent identified as Katjomuise had incurred N$300 000 loses Rukoro told the media in 2017 that he did not interview the man for the job, and that he did not appoint him.
“He was never managed by me as CEO nor was he accountable to me,” Rukoro told the media at the time.
Rukoro also blamed his enemies on the Meatco board for a witchhunt against him.
Rukoro told the media when he was suspended that
the board had decided to put him on ‘so-called administrative or special leave for an indefinite period in order to investigate non-existing charges’.
Rukoro was also quoted saying that the board’s action was patently unlawful and that he would not leave it unchallenged. Indeed,
Meatco later agreed to pay Rukoro N$3 million to avoid being dragged to court for defamation of character.
In April 2019, Rukoro, who is the Ovaherero Traditional Authority chief, proposed the establishment of an abattoir, a feedlot and an auction business through a company called Ozetu Holdings.
