MASIVI: There seems to be no clear sign of an end to the uncontrolled illegal fencing and land grabbing activities in the Kavango region, as more individuals and would be farmers continues to fence off large portion of land.
The latest traditional authority to have fallen victim of illegal fencing and land grabbing and fencing activities is the Mbunza Traditional Authority.
This reporter has observed several areas being fenced off at Masivi and Kaguni village situated just 10km south of Rundu along the Trans-Caprivi highway.
Some villagers claimed that the Mbunza Traditional Authority has sold these large portions of fenced off lands.
The size of these fenced off area could not be however be verified by this reporter, as officials from the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement has yet to visit the area.
What raised eye brows among traditional authority leaders and community members is the fence that is being erected at Kaguni village 10km south of Rundu where livestock such as goats have already been set up in the area.
Senior headmwoman of the Mbunza Authority Lydia Muremi went on NBC radio call in program this morning where she stated that she doesn’t know the identity of the person who erected the fence at Kaguni village, as the person had never approached the traditional authority to be permitted.
She appealed to the person to come forth and tell the traditional authority as to who permitted him or her.
Meanwhile, secretary of the Mbunza Traditional Authority Dagobert Mukoya told this reporter on Wednesday that he also visited the fence doff area in question, but indicated that he does not think that such an illegal activity is being done by Kaundu’s subjects.
Approached for comments, the owner of the fenced off area in question, Peter Immanuel rubbished claims through an interview with this reporter Wednesday that he was not permitted by the traditional authority saying the land he is fencing was previously occupied by his late grandmother and that he has just come back to reclaim it.
He said is grandparents settled in the area even before Mbunza Chief Alfons Kaundu was took heir to the throne.
Immanuel who started fencing off the area since February this year said, he has been paying annual fee of N.dollars 30 to the Mbunza Traditional Authority for settling in the area adding that even the leader of the Mbunza Traditional Authority Chief Alfons Kaundu is well aware of it.
Uncontrolled illegal fencing in the region is believed to be exacerbated by the fact that customary land rights registration in the region has been rejected by all the five Traditional Authority Chiefs in the Kavango region.
They rejected it because they argued that most inhabitants apparently want to continue leaving the way they freely lived before without customary land rights.