Africa-Press – Namibia. ELIZABETH MWENGO COMMUNITY members of eight villages in the Mashare constituency in Kavango East held a peaceful demonstration against the illegal sale of community land on Tuesday.
The Kavango East Communal Land Board allegedly sold 15 000 hectares of land to Shipapo Wambambangandu Investment CC at Muroro village. Villagers from Muroro, Fumbe, Namuwawa, Mahahe, Daghushi, Mashare, Mupapama, Mutjimaghomunda use the land for grazing. Shipapo Wambambangandu plans to use the land for agricultural purposes.
The community members are not happy with the way the matter is being handled. They objected the leasehold to Shipapo Wambambangandu in December 2019. However, the land board only responded to the community’s objection on 18 August 2020 after giving Shipapo Wambambangandu the leasehold in March 2020.
In the response on 18 August 2020, however, the Kavango East Communal Land Board claim the approved leasehold land right Shipapo Wambambangandu received was a 736,9-hectare land parcel at Muroro village.
Shipapo Wambambangandu on Thursday confirmed the 99-year lease of 736,9-hectares in the disputed area, for which they are paying N$3 000. The amount will, however, be revised once production starts.
“Shipapo Wambambangandu almost started construction last month but the community members stopped them with the help of the Namibian Police as soon as they saw bulldozers,” said Mathias Kashipare, a community member.
“According to the Land Reform Act, Act 5 of 2002 read with amendment Act 11 0f 2005, this leasehold was not supposed to be issued because the traditional authority and the community members were not consulted and they never authorised the issuing of this leasehold to Shipapo Wambambangandu,” said Kashipare.
The community members demand that the leasehold be revoked with immediate effect and that the investigating team speed up the process. They also demand prosecution in the matter, as false declaration under oath was used and people’s names were used without the owners’ consent.
The chairperson of the Kavango East regional council, Damian Maghambayi, received the petition but directed it to the minister of agriculture water and land reform Calle Schlettwein.
“Let me assure you that the petition will be received by the minister’s office. I will forward the electronic petition immediately and the original copy will be sent thereafter,” said Maghambayi. The community members are demanding a response within 14 working days.
