Southern ‘red line’ threatens access to farmland

Farmers along the Orange River face uncertainty over access to portions of their land as Namibia pushes ahead with a N$122 million foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) cordon fence.Landowners and officials have also raised concerns about whether the barrier can effectively stop illegal livestock movement and the spread of FMD.One property manager estimates that about 3 000 hectares of land could lie south of the new FMD fence.Adriaan Mulder, manager of Sandfontein Lodge and Nature Reserve, told Namibian Sun on Wednesday that the fence and its 10-metre clearance strip would affect land on the property he manages.Mulder estimates that clearing the strip alone will affect about 230 hectares of the reserve where he lives.Although owners will retain ownership of land south of the fence, Mulder said access gates would be needed to reach certain areas, including a pump station and campsite.He warned that the fence could also leave grazing areas accessible to livestock crossing from South Africa across the river.“There's a lovely grazing area that's been, I wouldn't say allocated, but has been made available for anyone on the South African side to push their animals across,” Mulder said.Crews have already started clearing land along the Orange River for the veterinary fence, dubbed the ‘red line’ of the south, a Namibian Sun visit to the border yesterday showed.The 155 km fence will run along the Orange River from Homerevier to Velloorsdrift, forming part of a wider 185 km fencing project.Construction is expected to take four months, with Sandfontein River Lodge serving as the operational base as teams work towards Velloorsdrift and Noordoewer.However, Mulder said he was unsure about the given timeline, citing the rugged terrain and logistical demands.“Looking at the logistical challenges of firstly getting all the equipment here and then also moving with the topography and the terrain itself, four months is not going to be enough time,” he said.He said sections of the river become mountainous further inland, potentially forcing the fence away from the riverbank and making construction more difficult.Is the fence enough?Mulder highlighted concerns over the fence’s effectiveness without regular patrols and maintenance, calling for authorities to implement effective enforcement measures to prevent South African livestock from entering Namibia to graze and to address unauthorised settlement along the river.“That 3 000 or so hectares will be easily accessible by South African livestock and South Africans, and we can just hope that law enforcement will do their job to patrol,” he said.Officials on the ground told Namibian Sun that the terrain, limited accessibility from the Namibian side and the length of the border would make enforcement difficult.They warned that livestock could be moved around stretches where a continuous barrier is not possible, and that without regular patrols people could cut the fence or move animals over or under it.The officials also flagged the risk of smuggling, saying price differences between Namibia and South Africa could increase the incentive to move livestock illegally, particularly as the FMD outbreak affects prices and trade in Namibia.Farmers in the darkPhillip Strauss, another farmer whose land abuts the southern border, told Namibian Sun that details of the fence and its impact on farmers are scarce.Strauss said farmers had not been told which farms the fence route would include, even though some properties lie close to the Orange River.It is unclear how affected landowners will plan for access to grazing areas and infrastructure as construction progresses, he added.Attempts to get comment from chief veterinary officer Dr Kennedy Shoombe and deputy chief Dr John Shoopala on Wednesday were futile, as their phones went unanswered.During Wednesday's government information centre briefing, ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda announced a separate animal disease control fence in the ||Kharas region, running from Klein Manasse in the Aroab area towards Naute Dam and the Fish River Canyon. Muyunda did not specifically address the Orange River fence or the concerns raised about its impact on land access and enforcement.phillipus@nmh-hub.com.na

Southern ‘red line’ threatens access to farmland

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-16

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Southern ‘red line’ threatens access to farmland

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-16

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