Hippos find new home in Lake Liambezi

A HERD of hippopotamuses have found their way to Lake Liambezi as water continues to stream into the lake via Muyako and from the south through the Chobe River following this year’s floods in the Caprivi.

The mammals are believed to have walked from the Mamili Park area to the lake, which has not been full for more than 20 years. Crocodiles now abound at Lake Liambezi, making it more difficult for villagers to harvest crops planted on the periphery and in some places within the lake basin.According to a senior water technician at Katima Mulilo, Vincent Simana, water is still flowing strongly along the Chobe River and the water is expected to move as far west as Chinchimane soon.Harvesting crops in the Musokwatwane and Luso areas north of the lake, Kanono to the west and the eastern reaches of the lake area is now reportedly near impossible.Acting Chief Regional Officer Robert Mapenzi said on Tuesday that Government was still awaiting a consignment of “banana boats” from Zambia to help people transport their crops.However, Simana said, it was already too late for many, and that the waters had destroyed vast tracts of unharvested fields.Mapenzi said that the waters were, however, not a threat to human life as most people had vacated their temporal homes on the lake and retreated to higher ground.The Regional Emergency Management Unit (REMU) has started distributing purification tablets and mosquito nets to people in the area.The Zambezi River as measured at Katima Mulilo on Monday is now around 4,5 metres – slightly lower than at the same time last year.The river is expected to drop at least another metre during the course of this month.But even though the river has dropped considerably since it peaked at over seven metres almost two months ago, Mapenzi told The Namibian that there was still a lot of water in the eastern floodplains.After flying over the area on Monday, he said, the area had been assessed as not yet suitable for normal habitation.Although the waters had receded in some areas near Mbalasinte and Ivilivinzi, Mapenzi said that the regional emergency task team was not yet comfortable with the idea of re-opening the school at Ivilivinzi as recommended by the Education department.With the waters having receded in some parts, Mapenzi said cattle trapped in the waters at the height of the floods were grazing more easily now.Residents from this area are still likely to be displaced for at least another two months and the Regional Emergency Management Unit continues to provide support to them at the four reception areas at Schuckmannsburg, Impalila, Lusese and Kabbe.The Humanitarian Aid Office of the European Commission (Echo) has become one of the latest donors to support the relief mission in the Caprivi.It has signed a grant agreement valued at N$1,2 million to support the Namibian Red Cross in its efforts to provide water, health and sanitation facilities to those affected.Crocodiles now abound at Lake Liambezi, making it more difficult for villagers to harvest crops planted on the periphery and in some places within the lake basin.According to a senior water technician at Katima Mulilo, Vincent Simana, water is still flowing strongly along the Chobe River and the water is expected to move as far west as Chinchimane soon.Harvesting crops in the Musokwatwane and Luso areas north of the lake, Kanono to the west and the eastern reaches of the lake area is now reportedly near impossible.Acting Chief Regional Officer Robert Mapenzi said on Tuesday that Government was still awaiting a consignment of “banana boats” from Zambia to help people transport their crops.However, Simana said, it was already too late for many, and that the waters had destroyed vast tracts of unharvested fields.Mapenzi said that the waters were, however, not a threat to human life as most people had vacated their temporal homes on the lake and retreated to higher ground.The Regional Emergency Management Unit (REMU) has started distributing purification tablets and mosquito nets to people in the area.The Zambezi River as measured at Katima Mulilo on Monday is now around 4,5 metres – slightly lower than at the same time last year.The river is expected to drop at least another metre during the course of this month.But even though the river has dropped considerably since it peaked at over seven metres almost two months ago, Mapenzi told The Namibian that there was still a lot of water in the eastern floodplains.After flying over the area on Monday, he said, the area had been assessed as not yet suitable for normal habitation.Although the waters had receded in some areas near Mbalasinte and Ivilivinzi, Mapenzi said that the regional emergency task team was not yet comfortable with the idea of re-opening the school at Ivilivinzi as recommended by the Education department.With the waters having receded in some parts, Mapenzi said cattle trapped in the waters at the height of the floods were grazing more easily now.Residents from this area are still likely to be displaced for at least another two months and the Regional Emergency Management Unit continues to provide support to them at the four reception areas at Schuckmannsburg, Impalila, Lusese and Kabbe.The Humanitarian Aid Office of the European Commission (Echo) has become one of the latest donors to support the relief mission in the Caprivi.It has signed a grant agreement valued at N$1,2 million to support the Namibian Red Cross in its efforts to provide water, health and sanitation facilities to those affected.