Kavango crisis turns ugly

AN Oshiwambo-speaking farmer’s cattle post in western Kavango was torched on Friday night.

Vilho Hamunyela is one of the many Oshiwambo-speaking farmers accused of being in west Kavango illegally and who have been evicted from the area. The fire occurred while Hamunyela awaits a court decision about his fate at the Oshindondo grazing area in west Kavango.Hamunyela, who is also the Secretary of the Ovawambo Herders Association, yesterday accused the Police and the Ukwangali Traditional Authority, and said they have for a long time now threatened to burn down his cattle post.Hamunyela was arrested recently and appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court.His case was postponed for further Police investigation, and he is out on bail of N$500.Another farmer and three cattle herders were also arrested and are out on bail of N$500.ACCUSATIONS FLY “I have a reliable source who has told me that the Police operating in the area have told him that they will burn my cattle posts,” Hamunyela told The Namibian.He said that on October 16 last year, Chief Sitentu Mpasi came to the same cattle post and burnt his fence.One of his calves was also burnt to death in the process.”If they have threatened to do, then who else could have done so?” Hamunyela said.He called upon the Ukwangali Traditional Authority and the Police to come out with the truth in this matter.”We don’t know what you are talking about, thank you, sir,” said an unidentified Police officer from Kahenge, when approached for comment by The Namibian yesterday about whether they know who had torched Hamunyela’s cattle post.The Namibian was unable to contact anyone from the Ukwangali Traditional Authority by the time of going to press.Hamunyela has lost a big mahangu storage container full of mahangu.Those who burnt his cattle post, seem to have first taken all his mahangu before they set fire to the mahangu storage area.There was no sign of burnt mahangu corn.Two sleeping huts and two store rooms (huts) with all his traditional milk calabashes were also destroyed in the fire.SITUATION ‘DIRE’ In October last year, many Oshiwambo-speaking farmers’ cattle posts were also burnt out.Some wells were poisoned and many cattle lost.The Namibian has learnt from cattle herders, who are now grazing their cattle in the Kavango and along the former Owambo border that many Oshiwambo farmers have vacated western Kavango, after the Police have chased them out.They have left many of their belongings behind, because the Police did not give them enough time to collect their belongings.They said unknown people are now burning down their cattle posts with their belongings.”The Police have told us not to go back to western Kavango again.They will arrest us and put us in jail,” Shiningivali Shiningobwa, a cattle herder, told The Namibian.”Many of the cattle are again going back to Kavango, because they are accustomed to the area and because the cattle herders are now afraid to go back to Kavango to get them out.They are getting lost and many are been stolen by unknown people,” said Aktofel Sakaria.”I think the Government has to give us a permission letter to go and look for our cattle which are going back to their original grazing areas and cattle posts and bring them back again to the border,” Sakarias said.When The Namibian visited Hamunyela’s cattle post, his cattle were back at the cattle post.”I cannot chase them out, because I was told by the Police, especially by the Commander of the Police in Kavango after my court at Rundu recently, that I must not go back to my cattle post any more and if they found me, they will arrest me.I don’t know what to do,” Hamunyela said, looking sadly at his cattle in the field around him.FORCED INTO ANGOLA Because there is no place for the cattle from Kavango to graze, many Oshiwambo farmers are crossing the Namibian-Angolan border to graze their cattle in Angola.”How can a Namibian be chased out from Namibian soil and be forced to go and graze his cattle in a foreign country? Hamunyela wanted to know.The Ovawambo Cattle Herders Association held a meeting at Onethindi near Ondangwa on Saturday, and have decided to go and fight their case again in the High Court.They said they would again lodge an appeal in the High Court in Windhoek tomorrow, asking that they not be chased away so immediately from western Kavango but be given a chance to find a place in former Owambo where they can place their animals.”We are really suffering and we are still calling upon the Government, the Traditional Authority of Oukwanyama and Ondonga to give us a suitable grazing area for our animals on the former Owambo side,” Hamunyela said.According to him, there is a Quarantine Camp in the east of the Ohangwena Region that is not been utilised.”This quarantine camp can be provided to us temporarily, while other measures are been put in place,” he said.The fire occurred while Hamunyela awaits a court decision about his fate at the Oshindondo grazing area in west Kavango.Hamunyela, who is also the Secretary of the Ovawambo Herders Association, yesterday accused the Police and the Ukwangali Traditional Authority, and said they have for a long time now threatened to burn down his cattle post.Hamunyela was arrested recently and appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court.His case was postponed for further Police investigation, and he is out on bail of N$500.Another farmer and three cattle herders were also arrested and are out on bail of N$500.ACCUSATIONS FLY “I have a reliable source who has told me that the Police operating in the area have told him that they will burn my cattle posts,” Hamunyela told The Namibian.He said that on October 16 last year, Chief Sitentu Mpasi came to the same cattle post and burnt his fence.One of his calves was also burnt to death in the process.”If they have threatened to do, then who else could have done so?” Hamunyela said.He called upon the Ukwangali Traditional Authority and the Police to come out with the truth in this matter. “We don’t know what you are talking about, thank you, sir,” said an unidentified Police officer from Kahenge, when approached for comment by The Namibian yesterday about whether they know who had torched Hamunyela’s cattle post.The Namibian was unable to contact anyone from the Ukwangali Traditional Authority by the time of going to press.Hamunyela has lost a big mahangu storage container full of mahangu.Those who burnt his cattle post, seem to have first taken all his mahangu before they set fire to the mahangu storage area.There was no sign of burnt mahangu corn.Two sleeping huts and two store rooms (huts) with all his traditional milk calabashes were also destroyed in the fire. SITUATION ‘DIRE’ In October last year, many Oshiwambo-speaking farmers’ cattle posts were also burnt out.Some wells were poisoned and many cattle lost.The Namibian has learnt from cattle herders, who are now grazing their cattle in the Kavango and along the former Owambo border that many Oshiwambo farmers have vacated western Kavango, after the Police have chased them out.They have left many of their belongings behind, because the Police did not give them enough time to collect their belongings.They said unknown people are now burning down their cattle posts with their belongings.”The Police have told us not to go back to western Kavango again.They will arrest us and put us in jail,” Shiningivali Shiningobwa, a cattle herder, told The Namibian.”Many of the cattle are again going back to Kavango, because they are accustomed to the area and because the cattle herders are now afraid to go back to Kavango to get them out.They are getting lost and many are been stolen by unknown people,” said Aktofel Sakaria.”I think the Government has to give us a permission letter to go and look for our cattle which are going back to their original grazing areas and cattle posts and bring them back again to the border,” Sakarias said.When The Namibian visited Hamunyela’s cattle post, his cattle were back at the cattle post.”I cannot chase them out, because I was told by the Police, especially by the Commander of the Police in Kavango after my court at Rundu recently, that I must not go back to my cattle post any more and if they found me, they will arrest me.I don’t know what to do,” Hamunyela said, looking sadly at his cattle in the field around him. FORCED INTO ANGOLA Because there is no place for the cattle from Kavango to graze, many Oshiwambo farmers are crossing the Namibian-Angolan border to graze their cattle in Angola.”How can a Namibian be chased out from Namibian soil and be forced to go and graze his cattle in a foreign country? Hamunyela wanted to know.The Ovawambo Cattle Herders Association held a meeting at Onethindi near Ondangwa on Saturday, and have decided to go and fight their case again in the High Court.They said they would again lodge an appeal in the High Court in Windhoek tomorrow, asking that they not be chased away so immediately from western Kavango but be given a chance to find a place in former Owambo where they can place their animals.”We are really suffering and we are still calling upon the Government, the Traditional Authority of Oukwanyama and Ondonga to give us a suitable grazing area for our animals on the former Owambo side,” Hamunyela said.According to him, there is a Quarantine Camp in the east of the Ohangwena Region that is not been utilised.”This quarantine camp can be provided to us temporarily, while other measures are been put in place,” he said.