Kavango West leaders resolve land dispute to transport villagers to polling stations after boycott threat

… residents threatened to boycott elections due to land dispute

Kavango West leaders were yesterday forced to find solutions to transport villagers to polling stations after they threatened to boycott voting over a land dispute.

Kavango West governor Sirrka Ausiku and Mpungu constituency councillor Titus Shiudifonya had to come up with ways to transport 300 villagers from Gava village to nearby Nepara to vote.

This comes after residents from the village threatened to boycott the polls over a land dispute.

Ausiku yesterday said she was driving to the village to meet with the residents.

“At the moment I am on the way to Gava village to resolve the issue to see the way forward,” she said.

The villagers earlier said they were tired of the failure of the Kavango West governor, the Communal Land Board and the Kavango West police to remove illegal fencing in their area.

Shiudifonya yesterday confirmed that the regional leadership met with the villagers to discuss the matter.

“After a thorough discussion with the villagers, we agreed to remove the fence as promised by Friday (tomorrow),” he said.

“We wrote a letter to the police and we are waiting for a police team to remove the people who are fencing today,” he said.

He said villagers were yesterday transported to the nearest polling station.

“There is no fixed venue at Gava village, therefore the mobile team was there in the morning. We started taking them to Nepara and Kakuva village to vote,” Shiudifonya said.

He said everyone would be transported back once done voting.

Shiudifonya confirmed that part of the agreement involved that the Kavango West governor’s office would remove the fence in question by tomorrow.

He said the portion of land is the only grazing land remaining for this village and an amicable solution must be found.

Gava village headman Eino Hamunime yesterday said the regional leaders have failed them since 2016.

“On 12 November we wrote a letter to the Kavango West regional council chairperson, the Kavango West governor, and the Kavango West Communal Land Board to inform them of a peaceful demonstration on 23 November,” he said.

Hamunime said a meeting was held with stakeholders and residents at Gava village on 22 November.

“I was called by the Ukwangali Traditional Authority’s headman, Eugene Kudumo, who asked to leave them to fence the area.

He, the Kavango West Communal Land Board and governor’s office promised to remove the illegal fences by 25 November, but failed.

“I and my subordinates came to the conclusion not to vote today if the regional leaders will not solve our problem.

We cannot vote for other people to come take over our ancestral land,” he said.

Hamunime warned the regional leaders that if the fence was not removed by tomorrow, the villagers would gather in front of the governor’s office until the situation is resolved.

Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah says the situation reflects deep frustration and distrust in the authorities.

“It highlights the failure of stakeholders to act decisively on the long-standing issue of communal fencing. This delay undermines the trust of the community in governance structures,” he says.

Kamwanyah says if over 100 people do not vote, it could slightly impact the election results.

“While boycotting is a form of protest, it denies the residents their democratic right to influence leadership,” he says.