Namibia responds to ‘emotional and unbalanced’ call by South Africa to unban vegetable imports

On the back of calls made by agricultural bodies such as Agri SA to demand intervention from the South African government to revoke trade decisions made by Namibia and Botswana, the South West Africans have reacted. 
 
Through its minister of agriculture Calle Schlettwein, Namibia says South Africa’s decision to urge their country to revoke the decision to ban vegetable imports from SA is unjust. 
 
The Namibian government officials are of the view that claims that the two countries should remove the import ban on some quota of fresh produce from South Africa is an ’emotional one, and unbalanced’.  
 
“We have the desire to become food self-sufficient, as a result of what we learned during the Covid-19 crisis. We need to incentivise that to make sure there is a market for those who produce here,” he said according to The Namibian. 
 
The two Southern African nations banned the import of certain fresh produce from South Africa forcing Agri SA to call for the government’s immediate intervention to unban the produce. 
 
An African business expert, Victor Kgomoeswana spoke to EWN and unpacked what is actually behind such a move by the two nations. 
 
“You would struggle to understand it because we’re talking Southern African Customs Union (Sacu), which should actually be duty-free trading among the different countries…so it’s counter-intuitive to have one government saying they are banning this or banning that,” he said. 
 
“The number of vegetables that were banned by Botswana about three or four weeks ago and then Namibia… are, they say in those two countries, to preserve their own internal economy.” 
 
Despite calling for the state’s intervention, it seems the farming sector has just given up as Kgomoeswana argues they see the decision as irrational. 
 
“It’s almost the paradox of how can we get intra-Africa trade going if smaller economies like Botswana and Namibia are taking on South Africa by trying to preserve their fresh produce market by banning imports…that’s why the SA farming community…are saying please leave this because it’s irrational.” 
 
Fin24 published that since the beginning of the year, Botswana has blocked SA exports of tomatoes,  
carrots, beetroot, potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric, chilli peppers,   
butternut, watermelons, sweet peppers, green mealies, and fresh herbs. 
 
Main Image: Namibia and South Africa/EWN