Herero farmers invade San area

A GROUP of Herero-speaking families have invaded the protected Nyae-Nyae conservancy area near Tsumkwe after cutting a veterinary cordon fence, sparking an animal health crisis.

By yesterday afternoon the Legal Assistance Centre was preparing papers for an urgent High Court interdict to have the five families evicted as fears grew of more arrivals.Detective Inspector Samuel Edward Gariseb, who heads the Tsumkwe Police station, said they were monitoring the situation ‘very closely’ and waiting for Government to instruct them to remove the families.However, there was a major dilemma, as animals cannot leave once they have entered the area because of fears of foot-and-mouth disease and other animal diseases.Gariseb said the five families moved in with 132 cattle, 21 donkeys, 15 horses, 16 sheep and 19 goats after cutting the veterinary fence, which prevents the movement of animals in and out of the Nyae-Nyae conservancy area.A source in the area told The Namibian that the five families moved in on Wednesday after cutting the fence. It is believed that local chief Bobo told them to leave the area when they reached Gautcha but the families proceeded to Gura, which is were they were yesterday.The source said the Ministry of Environment, Police and the Nyae-Nyae Conservancy spent most of yesterday with people from the Cqui Hartmun, Kiewet and Cqui Mossie conservancies and veterinary service officials, discussing what to do with the families.The Namibian was told that the Ministry of Environment has no jurisdiction in the matter as the land falls under the Ministry of Lands.The Police have discussed the issue with the regional councillor from the Tsumkwe constituency, Kxao Moses Oma.Some sources said more Herero-speaking people ‘with lots of guns and dogs’ moved into the area on Monday night.Gariseb said they heard about rumours that more people were heading in the direction of the conservancy but have not seen any new arrivals.’However, we have already been contacted by some farmers at Gam who now say that the five families must not return to their area as it will create a conflict. They fear animal diseases. That puts us in a dilemma,’ he said.Cabinet decided as early as in 1990 that no one can settle in Nyae Nyae other than Ju/’hoansi people.Gariseb said the five families admitted to having cut the fence.’They told us that their animals were dying because of poisonous plants in Gam. They don’t want to go back,’ he said.Others felt that the family deliberately moved in over the long weekend because they knew that no action would be taken during that period.Local people feared that as many as 350 head of cattle had already moved into the area and cannot return to Gam, as they have already crossed the veterinary line.The Legal Assistance Centre’s Norman Tjombe said they were working on court papers to file an urgent interdict.He was not sure when they would be in court, as communication with Tsumkwe, from where they get instructions from the Nyae Nyae conservancy, was poor.christof@namibian.com.na