Farmers defy eviction order

By: * OSWALD SHIVUTE at OSHAKATI

OSHIWAMBO-SPEAKING farmers in west Kavango stayed put at the weekend, defying eviction orders to remove their cattle from the area by Saturday.

Legal notices were served on farmers on Saturday a week ago.

They were told if they failed to comply with their eviction

orders they would face legal consequences.

 

However, the farmers said last week that they would not budge

until Government and the Ondonga and Oukwanyama Traditional

Authorities gave them a place in the former Owambo area to settle

their 60 000 cattle.

 

They are grazing their cattle in the Ukwangali tribal

district.

 

Battle lines started being drawn as an increasing number of

farmers from the former Owambo area moved into the district.

 

Police Regional Commander Chief Inspector Olavi Auanga confirmed

to The Namibian that the farmers have not started moving their

cattle out.

 

But, Auanga said, the situation is quiet and under control.

 

"I have read in the newspapers that the situation in that area

is tense.

 

This is not true.

 

The situation is very quiet and under control so far, and we are

just waiting to see whether the farmers are going to obey the

eviction order and we will see what the next steps will be if they

disobey the order," Auanga said on Thursday.

 

By yesterday, Auanga still did not know what the next step would

be.

 

"I do not know, this is now an issue for higher authorities," he

said.

 

Approached for comment, the Police Chief of Operations, Major

General Tuweefeni M'lukeni, said he had been out of the country for

a while and would give his attention to the matter from today.

 

The farmers held a demonstration at Omuthiyawiipundi on

Wednesday, when they gave Government an ultimatum: find us

alternative grazing, or we won't move.

 

Many of the farmers said they had no problem with removing their

livestock from west Kavango, but where they should go was an

issue.

 

The farmers also want Government to open up land in communal

areas which has been illegally fenced off.

 

While some Oshiwambo-speaking farmers were granted permission to

graze their cattle in west Kavango years ago, others have moved

their animals in without seeking approval.

 

This has resulted in tensions mounting between Kavango residents

and Oshiwambo-speaking farmers and their herders.

 

They were told if they failed to comply with their eviction orders

they would face legal consequences.However, the farmers said last

week that they would not budge until Government and the Ondonga and

Oukwanyama Traditional Authorities gave them a place in the former

Owambo area to settle their 60 000 cattle.They are grazing their

cattle in the Ukwangali tribal district.Battle lines started being

drawn as an increasing number of farmers from the former Owambo

area moved into the district.Police Regional Commander Chief

Inspector Olavi Auanga confirmed to The Namibian that the farmers

have not started moving their cattle out. But, Auanga said, the

situation is quiet and under control."I have read in the newspapers

that the situation in that area is tense.This is not true.The

situation is very quiet and under control so far, and we are just

waiting to see whether the farmers are going to obey the eviction

order and we will see what the next steps will be if they disobey

the order," Auanga said on Thursday.By yesterday, Auanga still did

not know what the next step would be."I do not know, this is now an

issue for higher authorities," he said.Approached for comment, the

Police Chief of Operations, Major General Tuweefeni M'lukeni, said

he had been out of the country for a while and would give his

attention to the matter from today.The farmers held a demonstration

at Omuthiyawiipundi on Wednesday, when they gave Government an

ultimatum: find us alternative grazing, or we won't move.Many of

the farmers said they had no problem with removing their livestock

from west Kavango, but where they should go was an issue.The

farmers also want Government to open up land in communal areas

which has been illegally fenced off.While some Oshiwambo-speaking

farmers were granted permission to graze their cattle in west

Kavango years ago, others have moved their animals in without

seeking approval.This has resulted in tensions mounting between

Kavango residents and Oshiwambo-speaking farmers and their

herders.

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