ZAMCO Workers Demand PM Help Over Unpaid Wages
More than 60 employees of the Zambezi Meat Corporation (ZAMCO) held a peaceful demonstration at the Katima Mulilo abattoir on Thursday, 24 September 2026, demanding that the Prime Minister intervene over months of unpaid wages, salary discrepancies and a breakdown in operations. The workers handed a petition to Zambezi Governor Dorothy Kabula, who said she would forward it to the Office of the Prime Minister.
Key points
Over 60 ZAMCO employees demonstrated during their lunch hour in Katima Mulilo on Thursday, 24 September 2026, according to Nampa.
Workers say 66 abattoir employees have not been paid since August, and quarantine-camp herders have not been paid since June, according to NBC.
Staff also report that amounts on their payslips did not match what was paid into their bank accounts.
The petition, addressed to Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare, demands full payment of arrears, a probe into the abattoir's finances and an alternative operator.
ZAMCO chairperson Alfred Chilinda declined to comment in detail until he meets management.
What happened
According to the Namibia Press Agency (Nampa), more than 60 ZAMCO employees marched peacefully during their lunch break on Thursday, calling for urgent government intervention over two months of unpaid salaries, job insecurity and a collapse in abattoir operations. Their petition was addressed to Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare.
NBC reported on Friday that the workers described "a collapse of operations and management" at the Katima Mulilo abattoir, citing months of unpaid salaries and wages, discrepancies in salary payments and deteriorating working conditions.
Livestock procurement clerk Lunza Sibalatani told NBC that staff were paid in the first month, but "what was on the payslip, and what was in our accounts did not correspond, and then we also got those salaries late." She said herders looking after cattle bought by ZAMCO in quarantine camps have not been paid since June, and that the abattoir's 66 employees have not been paid since August.
Workers' demands
"We have been met with total operational breakdown, broken promises and months of unpaid wages," shop steward Patric Munembo told NBC.
According to NBC, the employees are demanding:
Verification and full settlement of outstanding salaries, wages and back pay owed to abattoir and quarantine workers;
An investigation into the financial management of the abattoir; and
Government help to identify an alternative company able to restore operations and secure jobs.
The workers told NBC that the financial strain has spread beyond the workplace, with some employees now facing pressure from creditors.
Receiving the petition, Governor Dorothy Kabula thanked the workers for demonstrating peacefully and said: "We are going to send this to the relevant office, and more especially the Office of the Prime Minister, as stated in your petition."
ZAMCO's response
ZAMCO chairperson Alfred Chilinda declined to comment on the situation until he officially meets with management, NBC reported. He noted that he had previously met workers about wages, that they were aware of his position and of the company's financial struggles as a new operator, and said he was surprised by the demonstration because management was still reviewing the workers' grievances.
Background: the Meatco handover
ZAMCO took over the government-owned Katima Mulilo abattoir from Meatco in mid-2026, after Meatco's five-year operating agreement ended. NBC reported that the takeover came with conditions that employees and local farmers would not be affected.
The handover has been troubled for months. In August, The Namibian reported that Zambezi farmers were waiting for payment for cattle collected by ZAMCO. At the time, ZAMCO denied widespread non-payment and said fewer than 50 farmers remained unpaid.
The workers' protest also comes as Namibia's wider red-meat industry faces pressure from the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak confirmed in the south of the country this week. Read our coverage: Foot-and-Mouth Disease Hits Namibia's FMD-Free Zone and Meatco Suspends Beef Exports Over FMD.
What it means for workers and job seekers
For the abattoir's employees and herders, the most immediate concern is income: several months without full pay affects rent, school fees and debt repayments. Under Namibia's Labour Act, employers must pay agreed remuneration on time, and workers who are not paid can lodge complaints with the Office of the Labour Commissioner or seek help through their union.
The dispute also matters for job seekers in the Zambezi Region, where the abattoir is one of the main formal employers linked to agriculture. The workers' call for a new operator shows fears that jobs at the facility could be at risk if operations are not stabilised. Workers in similar situations should keep copies of payslips, contracts and bank statements as evidence. For more on labour conditions in Namibia, see our report on labour hire abuses flagged by MPs in the mining sector.
What happens next
Governor Kabula has undertaken to forward the petition to the Office of the Prime Minister. ZAMCO's chairperson has said he will meet management before commenting further. No timeline for a response from government had been announced at the time of publication.
Frequently asked questions
Why are ZAMCO workers protesting?
They say they have gone months without full pay, that payslips do not match bank deposits, and that operations at the Katima Mulilo abattoir have broken down.
How many ZAMCO workers are affected?
Nampa reported that over 60 employees demonstrated, and a worker told NBC that the abattoir's 66 employees have not been paid since August. Quarantine-camp herders have reportedly not been paid since June.
Who took over the Katima Mulilo abattoir?
The Zambezi Meat Corporation (ZAMCO) took over operations from Meatco in 2026.
What can unpaid workers in Namibia do?
Workers can raise the matter with their union and lodge a complaint with the Office of the Labour Commissioner under the Ministry responsible for labour.