Veld fire ravages area around Oshikoto

A HUGE veld fire destroyed cattle posts and killed a large number of livestock in the Oshikoto region this week, an official in the Environment Ministry confirmed yesterday.

Paulina Mbanda, a Forestry Technician at Ongwediva, told The Namibian that more than 20 cattle posts were gutted. The exact number of livestock losses could not be established, but the figure is known to include at least 17 sheep.Cattle and goat carcasses were too badly burned to count.Mbanda said the fire, which was brought under control yesterday morning, covered the three constituencies of Omuntele, Olukonda and part of Okatjali.On Wednesday, the Councillor for the Olukonda constituency, Phillemon Ndjambula, told The Namibian that one of the cattle posts destroyed by the fire belongs to the headman of Iipopo village, Gideon Iikwa.The veld fire started on Tuesday evening.The cause has not yet been established.Veld fires are common at this time of the year.If not stopped early, they can destroy huge tracts of grazing and kill many livestock.Another fire has been reported in the Doebra mountains, just outside Windhoek.The exact number of livestock losses could not be established, but the figure is known to include at least 17 sheep.Cattle and goat carcasses were too badly burned to count.Mbanda said the fire, which was brought under control yesterday morning, covered the three constituencies of Omuntele, Olukonda and part of Okatjali.On Wednesday, the Councillor for the Olukonda constituency, Phillemon Ndjambula, told The Namibian that one of the cattle posts destroyed by the fire belongs to the headman of Iipopo village, Gideon Iikwa.The veld fire started on Tuesday evening.The cause has not yet been established.Veld fires are common at this time of the year.If not stopped early, they can destroy huge tracts of grazing and kill many livestock.Another fire has been reported in the Doebra mountains, just outside Windhoek.