Gam farmers ‘steal’ back their cattle

FARMERS from the Gam area who early this month invaded the Nyae-Nyae conservancy, sparking an animal health crisis, have allegedly stolen their cattle back.

The 28 farmers, released late last week after posting bail of N$1 000 each, are said to have gone straight from their holding cells to the holding kraals at the farm Appel Pos where their cattle were being quarantined.They had been charged with illegally entering the protected Nyae-Nyae conservancy near Tsumkwe after cutting through a veterinary cordon fence over the Workers’ Day and Cassinga Day long weekend.The group appeared in the Grootfontein Magistrate’s Court last week.Their cattle – a total of 1 021 – had been confiscated and were being quarantined, while veterinary officials continue to monitor the movement of stock through the damaged fence into the Gam area to prevent the possible spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).The farm was under the charge of some of the Ju/’hoansi San people in the area, after officials who were supposed to be looking after the confiscated livestock ‘evidently left for the weekend and went to town’.According to sources in the area, ‘they forced their way into the area where the cattle are being held, and have begun leading them back into Tsumkwe, to return to Gam’ via the same route they entered the conservancy.According to Zeka Alberto of the Legal Assistance Centre, this latest action amounts to theft, and they could face another criminal charge.Alberto will be consulting with the community again today, and is looking at suing the farmers for about N$45 000 in camping fees they owe the Conservancy for the past 20 days.Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Samuel Edward Gariseb yesterday confirmed to The Namibian that no further arrests have been made since last week. He said the Police are monitoring the situation closely but no movement of animals into the Gam area has been seen.Trade in livestock from the Gam area has been restricted until officials are completely sure that the damage to the veterinary cordon fence has not resulted in the spread of animal diseases.Questioned whether the released farmers had returned to Gam, Gariseb, who appears not to have known about the alleged theft at the time of speaking to The Namibian, said that some had remained in Tsumkwe, while others had gone back to Gam.He did not have exact figures, however.All 28 will make their second court appearance at Tsumkwe on July 29.Asked how the Nyae-Nyae community is dealing with the situation, Gariseb said: ‘They don’t want them here. This is a difficult situation that we are in, because it is also politically motivated, in that people (the farmers) are saying they want to be close to their councillor.’ Other reasons cited for the movement of farmers into the conservancy include poisonous plants (also present in the conservancy), which were said to be killing their animals; and ancestral ties to the land – with the farmers saying they want to live closer to the graves of their forefathers who were killed in the 1904-1907 war with the Germans; Gariseb noted that the community is awaiting the arrival of a ministerial team – which left for the conservancy yesterday – to hold a meeting with the community and assess the situation.The team, headed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Mbeuta Ua-Ndjarakana, consists of officials from the Ministries of Lands and Resettlement, Environment and Tourism, Agriculture, Water and Forestry, and four or five officials from the Ministry of Information.The Governors of the Kavango, Otjozondjupa and Omaheke regions were also expected at the conservancy yesterday.Ua-Ndjarakana told The Namibian that currently, ‘the situation is under control’, and that his team has not received any further reports of increased movement of farmers and their animals into the area.’We are of the impression that local community leaders and officials on the ground have put measures in place to prevent and deter further transgressors from illegally entering the area.’Ua-Ndjarakana also explained that once they arrive at the area, the objective of the team would be to carry out an assessment of what is happening at Nyae-Nyae, and ‘establish mutually workable approaches to resolving the situation.’He said the team would then report back to Government with their findings and recommendations to address the situation ‘in a mutually beneficial’ way.nangula@namibian.com.na