Brave Kavango men recount cattle rescue mission in Angola

What began as a desperate attempt to retrieve 87 stolen cattle turned into a perilous three-day journey through Angola&#039;s wilderness, where a group of villagers from Kavango East say they faced off with cattle rustlers, wild animals and hunger – armed with only torches, maize meal and determination.Speaking to Namibian Sun on Saturday, Paulus Haingura, the vice-chairperson of the Diyogha community, recounted the ordeal that saw nine unarmed men cross into Angola to track down the cattle stolen from their village. All nine men have now returned safely – along with the entire herd.“I got the news on Sunday morning that our cattle had been stolen. It hit me hard. I work with people, and this affects the whole community,” Haingura said. “We couldn&#039;t just sit back while thieves took what little we had left.”On 10 May, five armed Angolan men reportedly crossed into Namibia, assaulted herder Ndara David Chakuno near the Diyogha-Shayiwe cattle post in the Mukwe constituency and fled with 87 cattle valued at over N$780 000. Chakuno was reportedly beaten and forced to march alongside the thieves and cattle across the border back into Angola. He was released the following day and said he crawled home bloodied and disoriented, where he alerted the community.Determined to retrieve their livestock, Haingura rallied local men and alerted the Divundu police. “We agreed that we must go with these people and help them get their cattle back,” he said. The group, which included two Angolan cattle herders, was given clearance by the police to proceed across the border via the Mushangara and Kakutji posts. A desperate hunt in the wilderness Officers dropped them off about 12 kilometres from the river and the villagers continued on foot.The search began in the bush around 18:00 on Monday.“It was dark, and we had to use our phones and torches. We lost the trail at one point but kept going,” Haingura recalled. “We walked through thorny bushes, past wild animals. We heard lions in the distance, we saw snakes, wild dogs... but we couldn’t turn back. We had to get our cattle.”As exhaustion and dehydration set in, three men returned home. The remaining six pressed on.“We ran out of water and food. We had only maize meal, and when it finished, we ate wild fruits,” Haingura said. “There were no boreholes. We followed cattle tracks, even when we weren’t sure where we were going. At one point, our torch batteries died, and we had no idea where the sun would rise from. We just kept walking.”Eventually, they stumbled upon a campsite. A fire crackled in the night, and they could hear music and human voices.“We knew these were the thieves. We could see our cattle right there,” Haingura said. “We didn’t have guns – just small axes. We had to plan carefully. One of our guys used his torch and approached from the side. The moment the thieves saw the light, they panicked and ran.”Heroes’ welcome Terrified cattle scattered into the night, but the villagers managed to herd them together.“Our focus wasn’t to chase the thieves – it was to bring our cattle home,” he said.The return journey proved just as punishing. With the cattle in tow, the group navigated dense terrain, hostile wildlife and scorching heat. They slept in shifts, fearing the rustlers might follow them.“We were scared they might kill us. But we kept pushing. We couldn’t let go of the cattle – they are our livelihoods.”Back home, residents of Diyogha and Mushangara celebrated the group’s return.“We were welcomed like heroes,” Haingura said, emotion heavy in his voice. “When we were in Angola, there were moments we thought we would never make it back. But we survived. We fought for what’s ours.”Next time &#039;we might not come back&#039;The incident has prompted widespread alarm in the Kavango East region, especially in light of the group’s initial disappearance. Last week, Namibian Sun reported that only three men had returned, with fears mounting for the others’ safety. Local authorities have since confirmed the safe return of all nine.The Namibian Police have launched a cross-border investigation, though no arrests have been made. The suspects, believed to be Angolan nationals, are still at large. Despite the trauma, Haingura remains resolute.“We do not know these thieves, but they must know we are not afraid to stand up for ourselves. We will not be bullied.”He thanked the community and the officers who gave them clearance to pursue their cattle and expressed hope that cross-border security cooperation would improve to prevent similar thefts.“Next time,” he said, “we might not come back.”

Brave Kavango men recount cattle rescue mission in Angola

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-24

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Brave Kavango men recount cattle rescue mission in Angola

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-24

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