San, ‘illegal’ cattle in a bullfight over water

Residents of Mkata near Mangetti Dune in the Otjozondjupa region say hundreds of cattle brought into the area by people they allege are illegally settled there are consuming water from a borehole intended to serve the San community.Andreas Thomas and Hillas Kaimbi told Namibian Sun yesterday that residents are forced to wait for the borehole to refill after large cattle herds have depleted its water supply.“Cattle are taking up all the water and we have worked hard to get this borehole,” Thomas said.Kaimbi said the community wants the people and their cattle removed from the area, saying the animals are making it difficult for residents to access water.The borehole was recently installed to improve water access in the community, while a vegetable garden was established alongside an early childhood development centre to provide food and teach children gardening skills.However, residents said the garden is now struggling because of the shortage of water.Thomas said the community wants the garden preserved so younger generations can learn from it and carry the knowledge forward.Unwanted invasionThe water dispute comes against a longer-running conflict over alleged illegal settlement and cattle grazing in San communal areas around Nyae Nyae and N≠a Jaqna.Speaking to Namibian Sun on Wednesday, community pastor Andries Gous said hundreds of cattle were seen around the new water installations at Mkata during a visit the previous Saturday.He said the garden’s water tank was empty and crops that had been planted had died because there was insufficient water.Gous said the borehole was drilled this year and that the large-scale movement of cattle into the area followed within months.He also raised similar disputes at Kanawa and Boregat near the Matjana area, where he said community water infrastructure had allegedly been taken over for cattle use.Long-standing battlesThe disputes echo court battles in the wider Nyae Nyae and N≠a Jaqna areas.In the N≠a Jaqna Conservancy, the High Court in 2016 ordered 22 of 35 alleged illegal settlers to remove their fences and livestock from the conservancy. The case followed years of complaints over people settling and farming with cattle in the conservancy.A 2017 report by Namibian Sun said the court order had not been complied with, and that none of the 22 settlers had vacated the land at that stage.In the Nyae Nyae case, seven Gam farmers faced eviction proceedings over alleged occupation of communal conservancy land. A High Court eviction order was revoked in 2018 because of technical issues, with the matter set to continue.The respondents disputed the allegations and argued, among other things, that they lived in Tsumkwe and had grazing rights linked to livestock acquired from members of the Nyae Nyae community. The case involved nearly 460 cattle, goats, donkeys and poultry.The wider dispute has continued to feature in community complaints. In 2022, Ju/'hoansi Traditional Authority chief Tsamkxao ‡Oma Bobo raised concerns about prolonged cases involving illegal grazing and increasing numbers of alleged illegal settlers.Thomas said the community wants the people they regard as illegal settlers and their cattle to leave so that residents can regain reliable access to the borehole.phillipus@nmh-hub.com.na

San, ‘illegal’ cattle in a bullfight over water

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-18

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San, ‘illegal’ cattle in a bullfight over water

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-18

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