Mashare: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has announced that student intake at the Mashare Agricultural Development Institute (MADI), also referred to as Mashare Agricultural College, will commence only after the completion of renovations and other crucial processes.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the ministry's deputy director for public relations, Romeo Muyunda, addressed inquiries regarding the delay in reopening the institution. Agriculture Minister Inge Zaamwani had previously outlined plans to reopen MADI during a visit to the Vhungu Vhungu Green Scheme with Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare in July last year. At that time, it was anticipated that the first batch of students for Level 2 and Level 3 agricultural certificates would begin their courses in January 2026.
Muyunda stated that the ministry is currently preparing to resume agricultural training under the Technical Vocational Education and Training programme at both MADI and the Tsumis Arid Zone Agricultural Centre. This preparation involves the development of training materials aligned with Namibia Training Authority (NTA) standards and the preparation of necessary documents for registration and accreditation.
Despite these efforts, several essential requirements remain to be completed before training can start. These include staff training, the accreditation process, and significant infrastructure upgrades at both centres. At MADI, the pump station has been repaired, and irrigation on part of the land using a centre pivot system has commenced. Once the upgrades are finalized, inspections will be conducted by the Ministries of Health and Social Services, Justice, and Labour Relations to ensure compliance with required standards.
Following these inspections, the ministry plans to apply to the NTA to register MADI as a fully operational vocational training centre. Muyunda emphasized that due to these outstanding steps, the commencement of student intake has been postponed, and enrolment will only begin once all renovations and processes have been concluded.