Meatco demands halt to ‘illegal’ sale of 900 cattle

The Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) has instructed a company owned by businessman David van der Linden to immediately cease the sale of 900 of its cattle.

Van der Linden was arrested last year on charges relating to dealing in and possession of cannabis valued at an estimated N$52 million.

In a letter dated 25 February and addressed to Alwyn van Straten of Executrust (Pty) Ltd, Meatco’s lawyer, Norman Tjombe, warns that failure to halt the sale would result in an urgent application to the High Court to safeguard Meatco’s interests.

The cattle, now numbering approximately 900, were allegedly wrongfully attached during the liquidation process of Linden Beef CC.

“Our instructions are that our client has learnt that you have caused the attachment of all of our client’s livestock in order to sell some for the benefit of the creditors of liquidated Linden Beef CC, despite the fact that you are aware that the livestock do not belong to Linden Beef CC and that they belong to our client,” he says.

Tjombe adds that the issue of ownership had already been clearly addressed in previous correspondence.

“We have, in our previous correspondences to you, invited you to peruse the ear tag numbers of the livestock, and you may also establish same from the perusal of the records on the Identification and Traceability System (NamLits) that the said livestock are indeed our client’s property,” he says.

“In light of the recent developments, our client will make an urgent application to the High Court for the protection of its rights and interest. To that end, we demand that you provide us with a written undertaking that you will not move to sell or otherwise alienate the livestock pending the outcome of the intended application, failing which our client will hold you personally liable.”

Tjombe further states that Meatco’s previous attempts to remove the livestock were unsuccessful due to the suspension of Linden Beef CC’s stock brand on NamLits.

The Namibian last week reported that a government report from Meatco has revealed that a total of 900 head of cattle are still missing from the company.

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