Three men return from Angola, seven still missing
Three of the nine unarmed men from the Kavango East Region who crossed into Angola on Sunday in pursuit of cattle rustlers have returned safely, while the whereabouts of the remaining seven remain unknown.
Namibian Sun reported on Wednesday that the nine Namibians had pursued five armed Angolans who assaulted a herder at Diyogha-Shayiwe village and drove 87 cattle across the border into Angola.
However, the three who returned did not recover any of the missing livestock.
A local villager told Namibian Sun that the search party had split up to cover more ground.
The Namibian Police have since launched a cross-border investigation following the incident, which was reported at the Divundu Police Station on Monday. The cattle theft, which occurred on Saturday, 10 May 2025, has alarmed both local authorities and affected communities.
According to police in Kavango East, a cattle herder stationed at Diyogha-Shayiwe village - near the Mushangara area in the Mukwe Constituency - was accosted by five armed individuals. Two of the suspects were allegedly armed with firearms, and another wielded a traditional axe.
The group reportedly forced the herder, Ndara David Chakuno, to accompany them and the 87 head of cattle - valued at approximately N$783,000 - across the border into Angola. Chakuno was later released on Sunday evening and managed to return to his cattle post in Namibia, where he alerted the cattle owners and authorities. He had been assaulted during the ordeal and was hospitalised earlier in the week.
In response, nine men - seven Namibians and two Angolan cattle herders, believed to be the cattle owners and their employees - crossed into Angola on Sunday, 11 May, to retrieve the livestock.
No suspects have been identified thus far, though they are believed to be Angolan nationals.
Namibian authorities continue to investigate both the theft and the disappearance of the community members who crossed the border. Police have urged anyone with information to come forward.
Namibian Sun reported on Wednesday that the nine Namibians had pursued five armed Angolans who assaulted a herder at Diyogha-Shayiwe village and drove 87 cattle across the border into Angola.
However, the three who returned did not recover any of the missing livestock.
A local villager told Namibian Sun that the search party had split up to cover more ground.
The Namibian Police have since launched a cross-border investigation following the incident, which was reported at the Divundu Police Station on Monday. The cattle theft, which occurred on Saturday, 10 May 2025, has alarmed both local authorities and affected communities.
According to police in Kavango East, a cattle herder stationed at Diyogha-Shayiwe village - near the Mushangara area in the Mukwe Constituency - was accosted by five armed individuals. Two of the suspects were allegedly armed with firearms, and another wielded a traditional axe.
The group reportedly forced the herder, Ndara David Chakuno, to accompany them and the 87 head of cattle - valued at approximately N$783,000 - across the border into Angola. Chakuno was later released on Sunday evening and managed to return to his cattle post in Namibia, where he alerted the cattle owners and authorities. He had been assaulted during the ordeal and was hospitalised earlier in the week.
In response, nine men - seven Namibians and two Angolan cattle herders, believed to be the cattle owners and their employees - crossed into Angola on Sunday, 11 May, to retrieve the livestock.
No suspects have been identified thus far, though they are believed to be Angolan nationals.
Namibian authorities continue to investigate both the theft and the disappearance of the community members who crossed the border. Police have urged anyone with information to come forward.
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