‘It’s a joke’

…Amupanda dismisses Schlettwein’s plans to shift redline

Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda has described agriculture, water and land reform minister Calle Schlettwein’s plan to move part of the veterinary cordon fence (redline) further north as a joke.

“We have commenced the process to take the next step to shift part of the veterinary fence further to the north, not exactly to the Namibia-Angola border but to include areas that have been disease free for a number of years,” Schlettwein said at the official opening of the Aminuis Agricultural and Industrial Show in the Omaheke region last week.

He noted that the move aims to benefit farmers in these areas by providing access to lucrative markets.

“We have a disease free zone and a zone that is not disease free, but our ambition is to make that zone also disease free as soon as possible,” he said.

Amupanda has been vocal on the need to do away with the redline that restricts the access of most northern farmers from lucrative markets.

“I think the minister is joking. Where will he put that new line? In whose field and how? Are people going to be moved just because of one minister making decisions on his own?”

Amupanda emphasised that it is the responsibility of the agriculture ministry to ensure livestock in the country are disease free and farmers have access to markets.

“This is the same minister who is fighting me in court, together with other white people, over the removal of that redline. He is there arguing that the redline must remain and now he wants to move it further. If it is needed, why move it further?

“He is a very disrespectful guy to the Namibians, honestly,” said Amupanda.

“He is the same man who wanted to auction our green schemes and now they are saying they recorded a profit. So, he wanted to sell a profitable scheme? He does not care about Namibians at all,” Amupanda claimed.

Amupanda filed a lawsuit in the Windhoek High Court nearly three years ago in an attempt to have Namibia’s redline removed.

“Our case has been postponed to 26 September this year for protection costs. We will be back in court when the matter comes back from the Supreme Court for that argument. In fact, the Supreme Court said the matter is of public interest,” Amupanda said.

In the initial claim filed by Amupanda, he asked the court to declare the redline, erected to control the spread of livestock diseases between northern Namibia and the rest of the country, as unlawful and unconstitutional.

The defendants are the government, agriculture minister, attorney general and the former Meat Board of Namibia (now renamed the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia).

“What is funny is that in this case there is no black lawyer. All of the defendants are white people who are fighting us. The benefits for removing that fence are higher than keeping it there. The late president was also of the view that the fence must be removed, as well as the current president, but they are scared to confront the minister,” Amupanda claimed.

FIGHTING ALONE

Amupanda said he is fighting the case alone against 11 defendants.

“You can clearly see that I am fighting alone, for black people and white organisations have organised themselves, including hiring advocates from South Africa, to protect their interests. The corrupt government is just busy launching boundary walls, singing struggle songs and dancing wearing scarves. Despite our anger, as black people we must know that these people know how to protect their interests using our people in government!”

DISEASE CONTROL

Schlettwein said so far the ministry has invested over N$800 000 in vaccines and tools for its vaccination campaign against lumpy skin disease, which was recorded in the Omaheke region recently.

“We are continuing with vaccination against the foot-and-mouth disease in the northern communal areas, where over 80% of cattle have been vaccinated,” Schlettwein said.

According to him, farmers in the infected zones will continue to benefit from market access through the existing Commodity Based Trade and receive equal prices for their products through the development of the Price Equalising Fund, to be funded by the government.