Unease over Oshikoto grazing tribal dispute

Unease over Oshikoto grazing tribal dispute The governor for the Oshikoto Region Henock Kankoshi held a meeting last week where he put the spotlight on the councillor for the Nehale lyaMpingana Constituency, Leevi Shiningombwa for exposing the grazing tribal dispute in his constituency.

In the meeting that was held on Thursday, Kankoshi demanded Shiningombwa explain why he exposed the tribal dispute to the media last month. Shiningombwa had told Namibian Sun that Oshikwanyama-speaking farmers are being targeted and forced to leave their grazing areas the Ondonga area in his constituency. After the meeting Kankoshi sent a press release denying any tribal dispute.





In release, the governor maintained that Namibian Sun misquoted some political and community leaders when reporting on the Elavi grazing dispute, but he also admitted that it was a tribal dispute and his office is mandated to intervene. He also promised to solve the issue alongside the Ondonga Traditional Authority (OTA) once and for all.

Shiningombwa exposed the dispute to Namibian Sun following the arrest of 22 villagers from Elavi No. 2 in Onalusheshete district of the OTA for allegedly vandalising a farm belonging to the Oshikwanyama-speaking Jonas Shiningeni in his constituency last month.

“My office has learned with dismay about recent report circulating in the print as well as social media, and among the community of the Oshikoto Region regarding the alleged tribal conflicts purportedly emanating from a lack of grazing in certain areas of Nehale lyaMpingana constituency. These reports are devoid of the truth and are herewith strongly condemned with the contempt that they deserve,” read the press release signed by Kankoshi.

It went ahead to say that these reports have the potential to cause disunity and animosity among the various tribes within Oshikoto. “As political head and representative of the central government in the region, I am mandated to intervene in tribal disputes with a view to find an amicable solution. My office has engaged OTA which equally does not tolerate this kind of phenomenon and condemns it in the strongest terms. We have thus jointly agreed to work together in solving this issue once and for all,” he said.



Last week''s meeting was attended by Kankoshi''s special advisor who is also the OTA senior headman for the Oshivelo district, Elvin Nashikaku, OTA secretary, Joseph Asino, senior headman for the Onalusheshete district, Eino Shondili, Joseph Akawa, the chairperson Oshikoto regional council Samuel Shivute, Oshikoto regional councillor for the Nehale lyaMpingana Constituency, Leevi Shiningombwa and Kankoshi as the chairperson.



In a telephonic interview with Namibian Sun, Kankoshi said that OTA confirmed the tribal grazing dispute, but Shiningombwa denied them. “The Ondonga Traditional Authority has confirmed that it what they said is true. They also said that they know those 22 community members and they will be summoned to King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas. We also agreed in that a meeting will be convened by the regional council and OTA at Elavi,” Kankoshi said.



A well-placed source within the regional council for Oshikoto told Namibian Sun that tensions between the Aandonga and Aakwanyama are very high, but politicians and traditional leaders are trying to sweep it under the carpet. “Is just unfortunate that Shiningombwa who exposed the issue is also Oshikwanyama-speaking and they are the minority in the council,” source said.



Following the arrest of 22 villagers from Elavi No. 2 in Onalusheshete district of the Nehale lyaMpingana constituency, Namibian Sun visited the area near Omangetti last week, and was informed that in the 1980s, the OTA reserved Onalusheshete district as a grazing area.

Whoever wanted farms was allocated communal land.

The tracts of land issued then were large and now with the scarcity of grazing, the Aandonga are claiming their land from the Aakwanyama.



Councillor Shiningombwa told this newspaper that Oshikwanyama-speaking farmers are being targeted and forced to leave their grazing areas.

Their farms are being vandalised, grazing on their farms has been burnt and they have also reported being threatened with physical harm. The conflict only came to light when the 22 villagers get arrested.



A farm owner also told Namibian Sun that in the 1980s, together with other farmers who are still in the area, they were allocated land by the OTA to set up communal farms.

Like others, he fenced off his portion but the fence was removed by members of the community in 2005 after he was labelled a “foreigner”.



Headman Shondili also said that fence and others belonging to non-Aandonga farmers was vandalised in 2005 and the perpetrators were summoned by Ondonga King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas.

Effort to get comments from Shiningombwa failed.



ILENI NANDJATO