Khorixas residents trade drought relief food for homebrew

Some beneficiaries of the drought relief programme are bartering their drought relief food for a homebrew known as bauga, Khorixas councillor Karel Tjitana says.

Bauga is known locally as the ‘poor person’s White Horse’.

Addressing a community meeting at the town on Sunday, Tjitana said some beneficiaries of the government drought relief programme sell their rations for bauga. Two tins of fish or two cooking oil bottles are exchanged for one small bottle of bauga.

“They also remove maize meal from bags, as it’s labelled ‘not for sale’ and barter it for bauga,” Tjitana said.

Tjitana warned homebrew sellers to desist from exchanging it with drought relief food and also called on beneficiaries to use the food for its intended purpose – eating.

“Food that you are given to eat, you are selling it. Later you will say the elected representatives do not take care of the citizens,” Tjitana said.

The bartering mostly takes place in Donkerhoek informal settlement where Tjitana also resides.

“Once drought relief food is distributed, you see beneficiaries selling it around. I warn those who are buying the food. I go to their houses and warn them,” Tjitana told The Namibian.

More than 400 people benefit from the drought relief food programme at Donkerhoek informal settlement. However, Tjitana said registration might take place for the next round, depending on the go-ahead from the office of the governor and prime minister’s office.

There are Ovahimba and Ovatjimba people without national documents, so once the go-ahead is given we will register more people.

Exchange of drought relief food for homebrew does not only take place between beneficiaries and homebrew owners, as other traders have joined ‘favourite’ homebrew trading. From five litres of bauga, which sells for N$250, one can make N$400.

“On credit, a 330ml bottle of bauga goes for N$20. Some pensioners spend all their government grants on the homebrew. It’s not only drought relief food, but also pension grants that dry up on this homebrew,” Tjitana said.

The Donkerhoek informal settlement residents get drought relief food on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Tjitana said he warned them to stop bartering food for homebrew and that those involved will face the consequences.

Khorixas constituency councillor Sebastian !Huisi !Gobs also warned those who misuse the government’s drought relief programme, saying “Use drought relief food to cook and not to barter it for alcohol.”