Showdown in Kavango

PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba yesterday ordered the Governor of Kavango Region, John Thighuru, to urgently investigate inflamed land tensions in the region.

A conflict over grazing between Oshiwambo-speaking farmers and communities in the Kavango Region has reached boiling point, with claims of water being poisoned and kraals being burned. Cabinet has on several occasions over the years discussed the land tensions in the Kavango but has so far failed to come up with a solution agreeable to both parties.Originally the Kavango Traditional Authority agreed to assist farmers from the former Owambo and allocated some land for them, but Oshiwambo-speaking farmers are reported to still be taking Kavango land for themselves.Oshiwambo-speaking farmers in the western Kavango Region have appealed to Government to provide land for them.They say the Kavango Traditional Authority told them to leave the western area immediately.SHEDS BURNED Vilho Hamunyela, a farmer in that area, told The Namibian yesterday that the men with his cattle herds west of Mpungu village in Ukwangali District had told him that Kavango people had set fire to his cattle post.”My cattle herders told me these people have burned out all my mahangu storage sheds, a storeroom where I was keeping my guns and my other documents such as firearm licences and personal papers of my cattle herds as well as my water tanks,” Hamunyela said.”This is very big damage and I am going to claim my property from the Kavango Traditional Authority, especially from the Chief Sitentu Mpasi of the Ukwangali tribe,” Hamunyela said.Earlier, Chief Mpasi told a meeting between Kavango-speaking and the Oshiwambo-speaking people that the Kavango Traditional Authority had given the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority a big portion of land, 50 kilometres by 200 kilometres.He said the then Oukwanyama Traditional Authority Senior Headman Elia Weyulu requested him to give him that land for his farmers.Despite this, the Oshiwambo-speaking people are still taking Kavango land for themselves, Chief Mpasi said.Yesterday the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) also called on President Pohamba to intervene immediately in his personal capacity in the escalating land dispute.The NSHR also reiterated its call made in 2003 for Government to “institute effective mediation measures to prevent what could become an ethnic conflict between Oshiwambo and Rukavango-speaking communities in certain western parts of the Kavango communal area”.”As we have pointed out on numerous occasions in the past …during the last 15 years, we wish to repeat that this Owambo-Kwangali tension has been simmering since around 1992 after ethnic Owambo farmers, including high-ranking Government officials, illegally crossed into western Kavango with large numbers of cattle in search for grazing fields,” NSHR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh said in a statement.”Nonetheless, we are also calling upon Chief Sitentu Mpasi and other Kavango leaders to impress upon their subjects to exercise maximum restraint and avoid bloodshed at all costs.They should withdraw from all aggressive to defensive posturing where this exists.We are equally concerned by allegations of heavy-handed involvement in this dispute by certain high-ranking political leaders of the country” added Ya Nangoloh.Peter Ndaameshime (Shipalashomoongo), a farmer in the west of Kavango, claimed four wells had been poisoned on his farm and 60 cattle died because of this.”Chief Mpasi and his people have to answer for this.They must stop this practice immediately before we also act,” he said.Ndaameshime called on Government to intervene before the incident becomes more serious.”I think before our cattle are chased away from that area, we should be provided an area inside Mangetti (Owambo) or in the east of Ohangwena region,” said Ndaameshime.He also complained about some farmers in the former Owambo who have fenced off large areas while other farmers have no land to graze their animals.Governor Thighuru, told The Namibian yesterday that he had heard about the incident but was not in the area.But, he said: “I am also going to see Chief Mpasi in this connection,” he said.The Namibian tried to reach Chief Mpasi as well as the Police Commander in the Kavango Region, but was told that they were both in the grazing area to see what is going on.The Chairman of the Mangetti Farmers’ Association, Ismael Shailemo, said he and other members had heard about the incident.”We are investigating what is really happening and will give our comment after our own investigation,” Shailemo said.The Namibian has learned that many concerned farmers from the Oukwanyama and Ondonga Districts have begun moving to the western Kavango to check the situation there.”I spoke already to my lawyer, and if it is true that they have burnt out my properties, I will make a case against Chief Mpasi, because it is he who gave that order to the people to burn my properties,” said Hamunyela.Cabinet has on several occasions over the years discussed the land tensions in the Kavango but has so far failed to come up with a solution agreeable to both parties.Originally the Kavango Traditional Authority agreed to assist farmers from the former Owambo and allocated some land for them, but Oshiwambo-speaking farmers are reported to still be taking Kavango land for themselves.Oshiwambo-speaking farmers in the western Kavango Region have appealed to Government to provide land for them.They say the Kavango Traditional Authority told them to leave the western area immediately.SHEDS BURNED Vilho Hamunyela, a farmer in that area, told The Namibian yesterday that the men with his cattle herds west of Mpungu village in Ukwangali District had told him that Kavango people had set fire to his cattle post.”My cattle herders told me these people have burned out all my mahangu storage sheds, a storeroom where I was keeping my guns and my other documents such as firearm licences and personal papers of my cattle herds as well as my water tanks,” Hamunyela said.”This is very big damage and I am going to claim my property from the Kavango Traditional Authority, especially from the Chief Sitentu Mpasi of the Ukwangali tribe,” Hamunyela said.Earlier, Chief Mpasi told a meeting between Kavango-speaking and the Oshiwambo-speaking people that the Kavango Traditional Authority had given the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority a big portion of land, 50 kilometres by 200 kilometres. He said the then Oukwanyama Traditional Authority Senior Headman Elia Weyulu requested him to give him that land for his farmers.Despite this, the Oshiwambo-speaking people are still taking Kavango land for themselves, Chief Mpasi said.Yesterday the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) also called on President Pohamba to intervene immediately in his personal capacity in the escalating land dispute.The NSHR also reiterated its call made in 2003 for Government to “institute effective mediation measures to prevent what could become an ethnic conflict between Oshiwambo and Rukavango-speaking communities in certain western parts of the Kavango communal area”.”As we have pointed out on numerous occasions in the past …during the last 15 years, we wish to repeat that this Owambo-Kwangali tension has been simmering since around 1992 after ethnic Owambo farmers, including high-ranking Government officials, illegally crossed into western Kavango with large numbers of cattle in search for grazing fields,” NSHR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh said in a statement.”Nonetheless, we are also calling upon Chief Sitentu Mpasi and other Kavango leaders to impress upon their subjects to exercise maximum restraint and avoid bloodshed at all costs.They should withdraw from all aggressive to defensive posturing where this exists.We are equally concerned by allegations of heavy-handed involvement in this dispute by certain high-ranking political leaders of the country” added Ya Nangoloh.Peter Ndaameshime (Shipalashomoongo), a farmer in the west of Kavango, claimed four wells had been poisoned on his farm and 60 cattle died because of this.”Chief Mpasi and his peop
le have to answer for this.They must stop this practice immediately before we also act,” he said.Ndaameshime called on Government to intervene before the incident becomes more serious.”I think before our cattle are chased away from that area, we should be provided an area inside Mangetti (Owambo) or in the east of Ohangwena region,” said Ndaameshime.He also complained about some farmers in the former Owambo who have fenced off large areas while other farmers have no land to graze their animals.Governor Thighuru, told The Namibian yesterday that he had heard about the incident but was not in the area.But, he said: “I am also going to see Chief Mpasi in this connection,” he said. The Namibian tried to reach Chief Mpasi as well as the Police Commander in the Kavango Region, but was told that they were both in the grazing area to see what is going on.The Chairman of the Mangetti Farmers’ Association, Ismael Shailemo, said he and other members had heard about the incident.”We are investigating what is really happening and will give our comment after our own investigation,” Shailemo said.The Namibian has learned that many concerned farmers from the Oukwanyama and Ondonga Districts have begun moving to the western Kavango to check the situation there.”I spoke already to my lawyer, and if it is true that they have burnt out my properties, I will make a case against Chief Mpasi, because it is he who gave that order to the people to burn my properties,” said Hamunyela.