Endjala fears civil strife

The governor of the Omusati Region fears that the current drought situation might end up in civil conflict, amid the grave shortage of grazing and water.
Erginus Endjala expressed his fear on Friday during the launch of his regional drought resilience consultative conference that took place in Outapi. He said that the impact of this year’s drought on his region is more severe than ever, and has the potential of causing disharmony among communities.
Endjala’s concerns come three months after Ongandjera King Johannes Mupongolitha Mupiya was verbally attacked by farmers during a meeting at his palace in Uukwandongo. They expressed their frustration and resentment over 13 well-connected individuals fenced off grazing areas that include government boreholes, which provide water to livestock in communal areas. The Omusati Communal Land Board has failed to remove these structures and they are now causing tension among farmers, especially those who threatened to emulate the 13 farmers, if the King and land board are not going to take action.
Endjala said that as many parts of the region experiencing severe drought due to poor rainfall, many farmers will move their animals to places where there is better grazing and this might cause conflict. He called on residents of Omusati to avoid engaging in unnecessary conflicts that disturb the peaceful coexistence of the community
“Hunger is the main element that disturbs the peace in many nations. As the available grazing will not accommodate the large number of livestock that will come in from areas that have no grazing, and taking into account the prevailing water shortages, this might cause conflict between farmers and we do not want that to happen. Let us maintain peace and stability in our region,” Endjala said.
He continued that the Omusati Communal Land Board indicated to him that the region has one million hectares of grazing which accommodates over 300 000 cattle. The report indicated that over 38 000 cattle died last year. “Grazing in the region is not controlled which has resulted in overstocking. The grazing capacity cannot support the number of animals that are kept there. That is why we have farmers in conflict over grazing and a large number of livestock are dying,” he said.
Endjala said people must explore alternatives to ensure they get water and food for both people and livestock. He said in the past, communities survived drought through different ways including digging water wells or borrowing food to feed their families and animals. “I am not saying we must continue using the same strategies, but I am saying let us combine indigenous knowledge and modern technology and see how the two can help our people and livestock better during critical situations as this,” Endjala continued.
Last year Endjala condemned a proposal by NamWater to replace the open Calueque-Oshakati canal with underground pipes, stressing that the canal is the only source of water for people and animals in his region.
The region invited various stakeholders ranging from government ministries, agencies, traditional authorities, research institutions, farmers and individuals to participate and interact on drought mitigation strategies that will help the regional government regulate the usage of scarce commodities such as water, grazing and drought relief for people and livestock.
ILENI NANDJATO