Vilho Hamunyela said the operation started last week in the grazing areas of Olunene, Olupeho, Oshikonda Onzingizi, Onyama and Elai in the eastern part of the Ukwangali tribal area.

About 50 Oshiwambo-speaking communal farmers with cattle in the Kavango Region were served with eviction orders in November.

The farmers are involved in a grazing dispute with residents of the Ukwangali area.

Prime Minister Nahas Angula said in the National Assembly in February this year that Government would not get directly involved in the dispute.

He said the Ukwangali Traditional Authority.

and the Kavango Communal Land Board were receiving advice from the Attorney General's office on the eviction procedures.

He said Government expected the evicted farmers to move back to where they came from.

Angula said farmers who failed to co-operate would either be arrested or summonsed to appear in court.

Failure to comply with the eviction orders could carry a one-year jail term or a N$4 000 fine.

The illegal grazers have refused to budge despite the eviction orders, saying they have nowhere to take their cattle because the former Owambo has largely been fenced off by rich farmers.

The farmers said they would only move their herds if Government and the Ondonga and Oukwanyama tribal authorities gave them land in the areas under their jurisdiction.

According to Hamunyela, the Police have now put up a temporary base at Elai.

He said Police officers have arrested cattle herders and chased their cattle towards the border.

Hamunyela claims that the Police fired into the air to drive off the cattle herds.

"Many of the cattle herders have been arrested, leaving the animals without herders and they ran away into the bushes of western Kavango.

Those cattle herders who have fled or have been arrested left their belongings at the cattle posts.

The animals are now without water and we fear that they will die of thirst," Hamunyela said.

He said he went there over the weekend and saw what was happening.

"We do not know where some of our cattle herders are.

We do not know where our cattle and other animals are and nobody wants to assist us, even the Government does not want to assist us," Hamunyela said.

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