News shorts

Aroab disconnects water Fifteen houses at the Oosterheim Extension One residential area in Aroab have been without water for four months, after the village council disconnected the service due to non-payment. One of the affected residents, Veronica Cloete, said that she cannot pay for water because she does not have a job. They are required to pay N$260 for water every month. “I now borrow water from a friend across the street, and she gives us for free, because she knows we do not have money,” said the mother of five. Nicolas Rooi and Johannes Witbooi are in the same situation, and don't know what to do to get their water reconnected. They could not say exactly how much they owe the council, but estimated it to be above N$500 each. Farmers battle stock theft The ear-tagging of livestock in the Northern Communal Areas (NCA) seems to no longer be a solution to minimising stock theft, as criminals now cut the ears of livestock in order to get rid of the tags. The animals' ears are cut off with sharp objects so that their origin cannot be traced. From June to July this year, the police have registered 19 cases of stock theft involving 28 cattle in the Kavango Region, all of which were destined for Angola. Cases of stock theft in the region are on the increase, and according to the Nampol's Anti-Stock Theft Unit in the region, branding cattle is the only solution to positively identify stolen livestock. Through this method, livestock is branded using the hot-iron branding system, which is based on registered brand marks. Reports by Nampa