Namibia’s livestock board appoints Vehaka Tjimune as CEO
Tjimune brings more than 37 years of agri-food sector experience as Namibia considers a new levy to fund foot-and-mouth disease prevention and control.
NAMIBIA – The Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia (LLPBN) has appointed Vehaka M. Tjimune as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 September 2026, as the country works to strengthen its livestock sector.
Tjimune brings more than 37 years of leadership experience in Namibia’s and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) agri-food sector.
He has held senior executive and policy positions across government, producer organisations, the private sector and international development institutions.
According to the LLPBN, Tjimune holds a master’s degree from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom and has expertise in agricultural policy, livestock development, governance, corporate strategy, institutional reform, stakeholder engagement and change management.
Throughout his career, he has been involved in strategic leadership, institutional transformation and partnership development across the agricultural value chain.
Before his appointment, Tjimune served as Senior Policy Advisor: Agriculture and Land at GIZ, where he provided strategic policy and institutional support to Namibia’s agri-food sector.
His previous executive roles include positions at the Namibia National Farmers Union and Meatco, where he worked in livestock procurement, producer services, stakeholder management and corporate affairs.
The LLPBN Board said Tjimune’s experience and leadership would support the organisation’s mandate to promote, regulate and develop Namibia’s livestock and livestock products industry.
“Tjimune’s extensive experience, strategic vision and collaborative leadership style will further strengthen the LLPBN’s mandate of promoting, regulating, and developing Namibia’s livestock and livestock products industry, while advancing sustainable growth, innovation and value creation for the benefit of all stakeholders,” the Board said.
Meanwhile, Namibia is considering introducing a new foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) levy to raise funds for measures aimed at protecting the livestock industry from the disease.
Anja Boshoff, LLPBN Executive for Quality Assurance, said the proposed levy would strengthen the sector’s preparedness and resilience.
“There has been talks about an FMD levy lately, an additional levy, so we can build resilience within our livestock sector,” Boshoff said.
The proposed levy would be paid by both livestock buyers and sellers, unlike the existing levy, which is paid by sellers.
Boshoff said funds collected through the proposed levy would be kept separately and used exclusively for FMD prevention, preparedness and control measures.
She said the levy could be set at approximately 0.76% of the value of a livestock transaction, although the final rate has not yet been confirmed.
The proposed funding mechanism comes as Namibia seeks to strengthen measures for protecting livestock and maintaining the resilience of its agricultural sector against FMD risks.
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