Prime Minister Nahas Angula said yesterday that Government expected the farmers who were served eviction orders to move back to where they came from.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Angula said that these farmers were eligible to apply for resettlement on Government farms when advertised, or to apply to traditional authorities and communal land boards for resettlement in other communal areas.

Angula was responding to questions by the DTA's McHenry Venaani, who wanted to know what Government planned to do about farmers who refused to leave the area.

Venaani said he believed that the area they were being forced to return to did not have enough grazing.

Last month, Government named 50 communal farmers guilty of illegally grazing their cattle in the Ukwangali Traditional Authority and who received eviction orders in November.

A further 23 were also expected to be served with eviction orders.

Angula said Government would refrain from getting directly involved in the issue and that both the Ukwangali Traditional Authority and the Kavango Communal Land Board were receiving advice from the Attorney General's office on the eviction procedures.

The Police, he said, were expected to deal with the illegal occupiers and advise them on the legal consequences they could face for non-compliance.

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 of 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 have said they would only move their herds if the Government and the Ondonga and Oukwanyama tribal authorities give them land in the areas under their jurisdiction.

Local News Headlines Of The Last 48 Hours

•  High Court upholds labour-hire ban
•  Oshakati nervously eyes the sky
•  Shamil Dirk's graft case postponed again
•  ACC nabs Otavi Village Council CEO
•  Justice driver accused of looting
•  Job equity has improved
•  Ombudsman complains about Justice Ministry
•  New plan for Cuvelai Basin
•  APP postpones congress
•  Zim to ignore tribunal ruling
•  Immigration locks up SA journalist
•  Youth gets four years for rape
•  Swapo closes ranks
•  Hishongwa hits out at 'newcomers'
•  Doctors to court over dispensing rights
•  Project money missing
•  N$20 000 fine for computer corruption
•  Police kill suspect after 'struggle'
•  Union wants NHE bosses' heads
•  2008 a year of political violence: DTA
•  Gender violence takes centre stage
•  Employers of disabled people awarded
•  Closure of copper mines adds gloom to Nam mining outlook
•  78 Zim farmers win land case
•  Floodgates open over Windhoek
•  Everyone except Swapo to blame for the violence, claims President