Kavango grazing tension worries President

PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba has expressed concern about the ongoing land dispute between Oshiwambo-speaking cattle farmers and the Kwangali tribal authority in Kavango Region, describing it as “undesirable and untenable”.

At the weekend eviction orders were issued to Oshiwambo-speaking farmers with cattle grazing illegally in west Kavango. They were ordered to remove their livestock within seven days or face legal action.Some Ovakwanyama and Ndonga cattle farmers have illegally settled in areas under the Kwangali traditional authority, causing tribal tension in the western Kavango.”It is totally unacceptable for some of our citizens to ignore the law and settle in areas which fall under the jurisdiction of our Traditional Authorities without following proper procedures,” Pohamba said when he opened the 8th annual conference of the Council of Traditional Leaders (CTL) in the capital on Monday.This sort of action, the President said, could result in the destabilisation of the county and must be avoided at all cost.Over 80 traditional leaders are attending the five-day conference.Pohamba called on the traditional leaders to urge their communities to avoid and discourage tribal disputes in order to maintain national unity and tranquillity in the country.”I believe that unity and institutional re-alignment will improve and promote active participation in national programmes, such as Communal Land Boards, in order to ensure proper land management and control, as well as protecting the environment,” said Pohamba.This, he said, will also lead to better management of initiatives aimed at the prevention of deforestation and desertification while other benefits includes the promotion of community-based conservancies for self-reliance, generation of income and employment creation for the local people.”I therefore, call upon our traditional authorities to work together with Communal Land Boards in order to promote rural development,” he said.The CTL advises the President on the control and utilisation of communal land and other such matters as may be referred to it by the Office of the President.They were ordered to remove their livestock within seven days or face legal action.Some Ovakwanyama and Ndonga cattle farmers have illegally settled in areas under the Kwangali traditional authority, causing tribal tension in the western Kavango.”It is totally unacceptable for some of our citizens to ignore the law and settle in areas which fall under the jurisdiction of our Traditional Authorities without following proper procedures,” Pohamba said when he opened the 8th annual conference of the Council of Traditional Leaders (CTL) in the capital on Monday.This sort of action, the President said, could result in the destabilisation of the county and must be avoided at all cost.Over 80 traditional leaders are attending the five-day conference.Pohamba called on the traditional leaders to urge their communities to avoid and discourage tribal disputes in order to maintain national unity and tranquillity in the country.”I believe that unity and institutional re-alignment will improve and promote active participation in national programmes, such as Communal Land Boards, in order to ensure proper land management and control, as well as protecting the environment,” said Pohamba.This, he said, will also lead to better management of initiatives aimed at the prevention of deforestation and desertification while other benefits includes the promotion of community-based conservancies for self-reliance, generation of income and employment creation for the local people.”I therefore, call upon our traditional authorities to work together with Communal Land Boards in order to promote rural development,” he said.The CTL advises the President on the control and utilisation of communal land and other such matters as may be referred to it by the Office of the President.