Border disputes affecting land administration

RUNDU – Border disputes between various traditional authorities in the Kavango Region have a negative effect on development and the administration of land in the region. This concern was among the issues raised by traditional authority leaders in the Kavango Region last week, when they held a consultative meeting with Lands and Resettlement Minister Alpheus !Naruseb.

The minster was informed that one of the major boundary disputes in the region is between the Shambyu and Mbunza traditional authorities, while another is between the Gciriku and Shambyu traditional authorities.
The disputed border between Shambyu and Mbunza authorities is situated along the area between Nayingopo and Karukuvisa areas, which stretches for about 50 kilometres, while the disputed border between the Shambyu and Gciriku authorities is for the 150 kilometre stretch between the Shinungwa and Shamagayigayi areas.
Each of the traditional authorities claims that the respective disputed areas fall under their particular jurisdictions.
The disputed boundary borders are said to have been decided in the early 1970s, under previous traditional authority leaderships, but the disputes have remained unresolved even more than 20 years after independence.
The boundary disputes are slowing development in the three traditional authorities as in 2009, the then Kavango Communal Land Board withheld about 40 leasehold certificates from being issued to small-scale farmers in the Shambyu and Gciriku Traditional Authority due to a pending unresolved border dispute.
Addressing members of the traditional authorities, !Naruseb said these disputes are affecting the administration of land in the Kavango Region, and indicated that specific disputes will be channelled to the relevant government ministries responsible for such matters.
Traditional Authority leaders of the two disputed boundary borders informed the Lands Minister that efforts to resolve the disputes were attempted by former Kavango Regional Governor Sebastian Karupu back in 2003, and a document was produced which could still be used as a starting point to resolve the differences.
The minister urged the traditional authorities to embrace the spirit of unity in order to truly enjoy the benefits brought by independence.
“We must not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by artificial issues that are not of our own making which could hamper socio-economic development,” he said.
!Naruseb was accompanied by the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement’s Permanent Secretary Lidwina Shapwa and his Special Advisor on Resettlement Vincent Likoro.
They have been consulting the region’s five traditional authority leaders on the implementation of the Communal Land Reform Act since Monday last week.
– Nampa

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