Local firm acquires licence to run F-town abattoir
Chakalisa Dube | Tuesday August 9, 2016 18:00
Judex managing director and owner, Harry Moloi has confirmed that the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) gave the abattoir, owned by the Francistown City Council (FCC), the green light last week. “We received the licence on Friday. The licence is for a medium throughput abattoir and cold storage facility,” he said.
He said that the abattoir licence was issued following a thorough inspection by the DVS. Moloi added that the abattoir would open early next month, noting that training of employees is currently underway and that it will be completed at the end of this month. “We have hired a South African company, Red Meat Association of South Africa, to train our 32 employees,” he said.
He said the employees include skinners and maintenance personnel. He further stated that the abattoir has the capacity to slaughter 200 small stock animals and 150 cattle in a day.
“I however cannot reveal how much we will be slaughtering a week because I will be disclosing vital information to our competitors,” Moloi said. The FCC abattoir was closed in May 2011 following revelations that it was dilapidated and did not meet the required operational criteria.
FCC then decided to lease the facility because it did not have enough funds to refurbish and run it.
Although Judex officials have been reluctant to divulge the exact amount used to construct the abattoir, in 2012, the FCC estimated the figure to be around P17 million.
In 2014, Judex won a lease to refurbish and lease the abattoir for 20-years. However refurbishing the abattoir took longer than anticipated.
The company appointed a South African based company, NDC structural engineering consultants to renovate the abattoir.
Over the 20-year lease period Judex will pay FCC P17,000 a month as rental fee. Francistown councillors recently toured the facility after it emerged that it has been completed.