Okashana ‘landrot’: Community threatens alleged land invaders
Group to ‘take law into own hands’
Prominent politicians and businesspeople have allegedly fenced off grazing areas at Okashana Kuukongo waNehale, drawing the ire of the community.
A group of over 100 communal cattle herders yesterday gave Oshikoto governor Penda Ya Ndakolo and the police an ultimatum to deal with alleged land invaders who fenced off grazing areas in their community, or else they will take matters into their own hands.
The land in question is situated at Okashana Kuukongo waNehale, a grazing area not far from the Etosha National Park in the Oshikoto Region where prominent Ondonga Traditional Authority senior leaders, politicians, lawyers and businesspeople allegedly fenced off areas that previously served as grazing for communal farmers in the area.
The group claimed that with the current drought, it is insensitive for the authorities to allow people to fence off communal areas, especially grazing land.
Yesterday, the cattle herders and farmers from the area held a peaceful demonstration and handed over a petition - addressed to the governor - to the Oshikoto Regional Council. Ya Ndakolo was nowhere to be found, they said.
Setting a 13 September deadline, the group said if they do not receive a favourable response, they will take the law into their own hands. “If nobody is prepared to listen to us, we will have no choice but to forcefully remove all illegal fences surrounding our cattle posts.”
‘Invasion’
The disgruntled community members expressed their disappointment towards the Namibian Police and the Ondonga Traditional Authority for not dealing with the matter promptly.
“The fencing off of Okashana grazing area has been done without the consultation of the King Nehale conservancy management, communal land board, affected cattle herders and headmen of villages surrounding the fenced off areas,” group spokesperson Selma Shihepo said.
“They all have expressed their disappointment towards such an invasion.”
The group claimed they had a meeting on 18 February 2023 and resolved that the police must deal with the ‘invaders’, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. “Despite all attempts, the invasion continued till to date. Recently, our boreholes, wells and soccer fields at Omutsegombahe and Okwema have been fenced off completely. Our crush pens, earth dams and old roads in the vicinity of Iikunino location have been fenced off,” Shihepo lamented.
“Our cattle are deprived of their grazing area, hence they are restricted to the corridors of illegal fences. Today our animals are travelling long distances due to the enclosure of foot paths - that is why some are being bumped by vehicles during the night.”
The petition was received by Oshikoto Regional Council control administrator Nico Aipumbu, who said he will ensure that it reaches the relevant offices.
[email protected]
The land in question is situated at Okashana Kuukongo waNehale, a grazing area not far from the Etosha National Park in the Oshikoto Region where prominent Ondonga Traditional Authority senior leaders, politicians, lawyers and businesspeople allegedly fenced off areas that previously served as grazing for communal farmers in the area.
The group claimed that with the current drought, it is insensitive for the authorities to allow people to fence off communal areas, especially grazing land.
Yesterday, the cattle herders and farmers from the area held a peaceful demonstration and handed over a petition - addressed to the governor - to the Oshikoto Regional Council. Ya Ndakolo was nowhere to be found, they said.
Setting a 13 September deadline, the group said if they do not receive a favourable response, they will take the law into their own hands. “If nobody is prepared to listen to us, we will have no choice but to forcefully remove all illegal fences surrounding our cattle posts.”
‘Invasion’
The disgruntled community members expressed their disappointment towards the Namibian Police and the Ondonga Traditional Authority for not dealing with the matter promptly.
“The fencing off of Okashana grazing area has been done without the consultation of the King Nehale conservancy management, communal land board, affected cattle herders and headmen of villages surrounding the fenced off areas,” group spokesperson Selma Shihepo said.
“They all have expressed their disappointment towards such an invasion.”
The group claimed they had a meeting on 18 February 2023 and resolved that the police must deal with the ‘invaders’, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. “Despite all attempts, the invasion continued till to date. Recently, our boreholes, wells and soccer fields at Omutsegombahe and Okwema have been fenced off completely. Our crush pens, earth dams and old roads in the vicinity of Iikunino location have been fenced off,” Shihepo lamented.
“Our cattle are deprived of their grazing area, hence they are restricted to the corridors of illegal fences. Today our animals are travelling long distances due to the enclosure of foot paths - that is why some are being bumped by vehicles during the night.”
The petition was received by Oshikoto Regional Council control administrator Nico Aipumbu, who said he will ensure that it reaches the relevant offices.
[email protected]
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