Hamunyela free on bail

VILHO Hamunyela, the spokesperson for Oshiwambo-speaking farmers evicted from western Kavango, appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court yesterday and was granted bail of N$500.

Hamunyela was charged with grazing his cattle illegally in the Ukwangali Traditional Authority District of western Kavango. He was arrested by the Ondangwa Police at his home at Ondangwa on Friday.Hamunyela was not asked to plead and his case was postponed to January 25 for further Police investigation Hamunyela is the second Oshiwambo-speaking farmer in western Kavango to be arrested for defying an eviction order.Another well-known Oshiwambo-speaking farmer, Gabriel Shatiwa (Nehanga) from Olupeho village in western Kavango, was arrested by the Kahenge Police on November 25, and appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court last Monday.His case has also been postponed to 25 January 2007 for futher Police investigation.He too was released on bail of N$500.Earlier last month, the Police at Kahenge arrested two Oshiwambo-speaking cattle herders, Matheus Frans (45) and Jonas Panduleni (21) at Oshamakaka village in western Kavango.They were also charged with being illegally in western Kavango.They appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court on November 20.Their case was postponed to January 25 and they were granted bail of N$500 each.In an interview with The Namibian at his palace at Nkurenkuru last month, the chief of the Ukwangali Traditional Authority, Sitentu Mpasi, said Oshiwambo-speaking farmers who are illegally in Ukwangali had to go back to the former Owambo immediately.Hamunyela told The Namibian yesterday that his farmers’ association, the Owambo Cattle Herders Association, will hold a meeting this Saturday at Onethindi near Ondangwa, where they will discuss the way forward.He was arrested by the Ondangwa Police at his home at Ondangwa on Friday.Hamunyela was not asked to plead and his case was postponed to January 25 for further Police investigation Hamunyela is the second Oshiwambo-speaking farmer in western Kavango to be arrested for defying an eviction order.Another well-known Oshiwambo-speaking farmer, Gabriel Shatiwa (Nehanga) from Olupeho village in western Kavango, was arrested by the Kahenge Police on November 25, and appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court last Monday.His case has also been postponed to 25 January 2007 for futher Police investigation.He too was released on bail of N$500.Earlier last month, the Police at Kahenge arrested two Oshiwambo-speaking cattle herders, Matheus Frans (45) and Jonas Panduleni (21) at Oshamakaka village in western Kavango.They were also charged with being illegally in western Kavango.They appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court on November 20.Their case was postponed to January 25 and they were granted bail of N$500 each.In an interview with The Namibian at his palace at Nkurenkuru last month, the chief of the Ukwangali Traditional Authority, Sitentu Mpasi, said Oshiwambo-speaking farmers who are illegally in Ukwangali had to go back to the former Owambo immediately.Hamunyela told The Namibian yesterday that his farmers’ association, the Owambo Cattle Herders Association, will hold a meeting this Saturday at Onethindi near Ondangwa, where they will discuss the way forward.