Gam farmers face music

EIGHTEEN farmers from Gam were yesterday charged with illegally entering the protected Nyae-Nyae conservancy area near Tsumkwe after cutting through a veterinary cordon fence.

They appeared in the Grootfontein Magistrate’s Court. Meanwhile, up to 1 000 people are rumoured to be on their way to the Nyae-Nyae conservancy. Detective Inspector Samuel Edward Gariseb, Commander of the Tsumkwe Police station, said they confiscated and quarantined 595 cattle belonging to Herero-speaking families from the Gam area at Appelpos.The farmers entered after illegally slashing through the veterinary cordon fence.’On Sunday we confiscated 106 cattle but more came in the same evening. I have sent more Police officers to keep a close eye on them because we understand that they want to move to Rooidag Hek,’ Gariseb said.He said the Gam farmers claim that they moved into the area because poisonous plants were killing their animals. Others claimed that their ancestors who were killed during the 1904-1907 war with Germans were buried there and they want to be closer to their graves. The last reason given was that they want also to be closer to their regional councillor Kxao Moses Oma, who lives at Tsumkwe.Nicholas Ndumba, clerk at the Grootfontein Magistrate’s Court, said the 18 farmers were charged with illegal grazing, malicious damage to property and unlawful entering of a veterinary zone.He said each one was granted bail of N$1 000 and told to return to court on July 29.The arrests were made after an intervention by Zeka Alberto from the Legal Assistance Centre who, after consulting the Nyae-Nyae conservancy for a possible High Court interdict to have the families evicted, informed the Police that they could actually arrest them as they were trespassing on State land.Alberto said the Gam families had moved deep into the conservancy and the Police had their hands full with the cattle.’The Police will find it difficult with more cattle coming in and if the cases drag on, as we know they can. Even the Gam farmers will have a problem as their cattle must compete with wildlife such as lions and elephants for water,’ he said.He called on the Police and the Ministry of Agriculture to send more staff to patrol the fence, as the breach endangers Namibia’s beef exports because of the threat of livestock diseases.Other interest groups have expressed concern about Government’s silence on the issue. One of them vowed yesterday to take up the issue with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, as Dr Libertina Amathila had shown interest in San issues.Cabinet decided as early as in 1990 that no one can settle in Nyae-Nyae other than Ju/’hoansi San people.A similar incident happened in 1996 when the Ministry of Lands was still run by the late Richard Kabajani, who acted swiftly by issuing a statement and warning the Gam farmers about the consequences.Last week, a restriction was placed on livestock trade from the Gam area until the authorities can be sure that no animals have crossed into the Gam area through the damaged fence.christof@namibian.com.na