Swarms of locusts plague villagers in North

THE arrival of tens of thousands of locusts in central northern Namibia, especially in the Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions, has struck fear in the hearts of crop farmers.

During the past few weeks, villagers from Onanona, Oshaango, Eengodi, Oshifitu, Ondobe, Eenhana and Okongo and villages between Okankolo and Onayena in the Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions have phoned the NBC’s Oshiwambo radio service to complain about the locusts. However, it seems the insects are proving elusive, moving swiftly from one village to another.Early last week a resident of Ondobe village in the Ohangwena Region phoned The Namibian’s office at Oshakati to say the locusts had swarmed into the village.However, minutes later he phoned again and said they had flown off.Residents at villages where the locusts have been seen, described the locusts as a “dangerous kind of bird” which ate grass and the leaves of tress as quickly as they could before flying away again.Mahangu farmers who spoke to The Namibian said if the locusts were laying eggs it spelt danger.”They are like Omalindilindi [a type of cricket].They are dangerous and I think we are going to suffer at their hands as they will eat up our mahangu crops during the next rainy and ploughing seasons,” said one villager.However, Councillor Josef Imbili from the Oshikoto Region said experts they had called in from Windhoek at the end of last week “swarms of little locusts”.According to the experts, at present the locusts were hungry and hungry locusts could not produce many eggs.”Those experts told us not to fear to much about them at the moment,” Councillor Imbili told The Namibian yesterday.He said the locusts were not like animals that arrived at a place and stayed for long.”They come and go immediately after they have finished their lunch or dinner,” Imbili said.Earlier, Paulus Mwahanyekange, the Regional Councillor for the Okongo Constituency, went on the Oshiwambo radio service to warn villagers about the dangers of the locusts.Up to now these locusts have mainly been in the eastern villages of Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions, deep in the bush and in sandy areas.An official from the Okankolo constituency said there had been many locusts in the Okankolo area but that they had now headed off in the direction of Etosha Pan.He said they had caught some of the insects and put them in glass bottles “as a show”.However, it seems the insects are proving elusive, moving swiftly from one village to another.Early last week a resident of Ondobe village in the Ohangwena Region phoned The Namibian’s office at Oshakati to say the locusts had swarmed into the village.However, minutes later he phoned again and said they had flown off.Residents at villages where the locusts have been seen, described the locusts as a “dangerous kind of bird” which ate grass and the leaves of tress as quickly as they could before flying away again.Mahangu farmers who spoke to The Namibian said if the locusts were laying eggs it spelt danger.”They are like Omalindilindi [a type of cricket].They are dangerous and I think we are going to suffer at their hands as they will eat up our mahangu crops during the next rainy and ploughing seasons,” said one villager.However, Councillor Josef Imbili from the Oshikoto Region said experts they had called in from Windhoek at the end of last week “swarms of little locusts”.According to the experts, at present the locusts were hungry and hungry locusts could not produce many eggs.”Those experts told us not to fear to much about them at the moment,” Councillor Imbili told The Namibian yesterday.He said the locusts were not like animals that arrived at a place and stayed for long.”They come and go immediately after they have finished their lunch or dinner,” Imbili said.Earlier, Paulus Mwahanyekange, the Regional Councillor for the Okongo Constituency, went on the Oshiwambo radio service to warn villagers about the dangers of the locusts.Up to now these locusts have mainly been in the eastern villages of Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions, deep in the bush and in sandy areas.An official from the Okankolo constituency said there had been many locusts in the Okankolo area but that they had now headed off in the direction of Etosha Pan.He said they had caught some of the insects and put them in glass bottles “as a show”.