Body of Christ accuses traditional authorities of land discrimination

Body of Christ (BCP) political party leader Festus Thomas has accused traditional authorities of discrimination over allocating land to so-called revival churches.

“Our meeting aims to call the Namibian landless churches to action and demand an end to land discrimination, poverty, inequality and church persecution,” said Thomas at a meeting at Eenhana on Tuesday.

“We understand that there are no ancestral land claims in Namibia, however, the traditional authorities in this county prosecute us over land. The land belongs to all Namibians but Namibians are still being humiliated, segregated and enslaved by their own people.

“We are being harassed and intimidated by the state … when requesting land for our people,” said Thomas.

Also speaking at the same meeting, BCP supporters claimed that village headman ostracise those who belong to revival (charismatic) churches.

“They don’t want to give us land when they hear we are part of the ‘Oshiveva’ churches. Where are we supposed to live? We need homes and fields to work on. Our faith and the churches we decide to attend should not be the reason to rob citizens of the basic right to land in their own country,” said BCP member Sylvia Paulus.

Pastor Toivo Omwene from Onambalati village in the Ohangwena region accused village headmen of making threats against the church and its members.

“The headman asked us to make a formal application for the church land, which we complied with. He further requested that we get another formal application from the constituency councillor, who told us he had replied to us to say her office is not responsible for giving or selling land.

“Since then, we have been sent from pillar to post and the headman has made it impossible to conduct church services in the village,” said Omwene.

When contacted by The Namibian on Tuesday, headman Nikodemus Kambode refused to comment, saying that he doesn’t talk to people via cellphones.

Senior Eeenhana traditional councillor Emphraim Weyulu confirmed that the traditional council has issues with churches that reportedly cause disruptions in the community.

“If they know that they are not causing chaos they should distinguish themselves so that we know how to tell them apart. Moreover, there are processes in place where land applications are concerned. Families have become divided because of the churches. This country embraces all religions but there are ways we expect churches to conduct themselves,” said Weyulu.

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