Arrests mount as Kavango land tensions soar
Need for police interventions on the rise
During the latest incident, the 14 people who were arrested were reportedly armed with pangas and axes.
Land disputes continue to spark conflict across Namibian communities, especially in northern regions, with some disputes escalating into violence and, in extreme cases, resulting in loss of life.
On Sunday, 14 people, aged between 25 and 54, were arrested at Gava village in the Kavango West Region, facing charges of malicious damage to property and assault by threat.
Chief Inspector Raimbert Muronga of the Kavango West police confirmed that the incident occurred at 07:22.
He reported that the suspects allegedly cut the fence and removed poles from a disputed farm, threatening to kill the workers if they continued working for the landowner, a 37-year-old man who subsequently filed a police complaint.
The suspects, reportedly armed with pangas and axes, claimed they were dismantling an illegally fenced area in their village. They are expected to appear in the Kahenge Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.
Tensions are high
Tensions over land access have been building for years. Just three weeks ago, residents of Mpora Village in Kavango West protested the fencing of communal land, demanding intervention from the regional governor.
The dispute, which has persisted for about eight years, involves a farm owned by Mathew Hamutenya, covering approximately 7 km and encroaching on three villages, namely Katjinakatji 2, Mpora and Casava. Villagers argue that the fencing restricts their grazing land and has forced some families to relocate. The area in question also includes a community graveyard and two government boreholes.
Community spokesperson Shindimba Ignatius expressed frustration over the lack of transparency, noting that “a few days ago, people claiming the land arrived in a government vehicle but refused to clarify their purpose. They said we would be given 1 kilometre to live on and wouldn’t be allowed to enter the fenced area."
Hamutenya defended his claim, telling NBC that he legally obtained the land before independence, with approval from the land board. He said the farm’s boundaries had already been adjusted to accommodate local homesteads. Hamutenya also clarified that the graveyard was private and that the borehole on the property was for his use.
Interventions
Police intervention in land disputes has become a regular necessity in the Kavango West Region, according to Ncaute station commander James Shamwazi.
He explained that police are often called to mediate disputes to protect lives and property and prevent the use of dangerous objects. In a recent case at Naingopo village, police responded to a land dispute involving two individuals claiming the same piece of land. A firearm was confiscated during the incident, though the complainant declined to press charges. Shamwazi emphasised that if traditional leaders cannot resolve these conflicts, additional stakeholders, including government ministries, would step in to address illegal fencing and land access issues.
‘Organised chaos’
The violent repercussions of land conflicts have extended beyond Kavango West. In a high-profile 2019 incident, former deputy director at the ministry of works and transport Lemmy Mutonga was fatally shot during a land dispute in the Zambezi region.
Last month, a Katima Mulilo court sentenced his killers, George and Clemens Sibalatani, to 18 years for murder and an additional two years for firearm possession. Other family members involved received sentences for assault.
Addressing land rights issues during a recent meeting with the Boundaries Delimitation and Demarcation Commission, Namibian Lives Matter Movement chairperson Sinvula Mudabeti criticised the government’s inconsistent handling of boundary disputes, citing discrepancies in how boundary disputes are handled.
“There was a dispute between Kavango East and Kavango West and because Kavango East couldn’t push above 70 km west, they came and pushed 100 km west into Caprivi, and nobody raised it. When we want to correct things, we are reminded that we may be going to the ‘Bantustans. In fact, for lack of better words, many delimitation commissions operated on organised chaos. What we are doing here is to restore the historical narratives of men and women who fought for the liberation of this country, who are now back and are standing up, surprised that things are changing here and not anywhere else,” he said.
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On Sunday, 14 people, aged between 25 and 54, were arrested at Gava village in the Kavango West Region, facing charges of malicious damage to property and assault by threat.
Chief Inspector Raimbert Muronga of the Kavango West police confirmed that the incident occurred at 07:22.
He reported that the suspects allegedly cut the fence and removed poles from a disputed farm, threatening to kill the workers if they continued working for the landowner, a 37-year-old man who subsequently filed a police complaint.
The suspects, reportedly armed with pangas and axes, claimed they were dismantling an illegally fenced area in their village. They are expected to appear in the Kahenge Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.
Tensions are high
Tensions over land access have been building for years. Just three weeks ago, residents of Mpora Village in Kavango West protested the fencing of communal land, demanding intervention from the regional governor.
The dispute, which has persisted for about eight years, involves a farm owned by Mathew Hamutenya, covering approximately 7 km and encroaching on three villages, namely Katjinakatji 2, Mpora and Casava. Villagers argue that the fencing restricts their grazing land and has forced some families to relocate. The area in question also includes a community graveyard and two government boreholes.
Community spokesperson Shindimba Ignatius expressed frustration over the lack of transparency, noting that “a few days ago, people claiming the land arrived in a government vehicle but refused to clarify their purpose. They said we would be given 1 kilometre to live on and wouldn’t be allowed to enter the fenced area."
Hamutenya defended his claim, telling NBC that he legally obtained the land before independence, with approval from the land board. He said the farm’s boundaries had already been adjusted to accommodate local homesteads. Hamutenya also clarified that the graveyard was private and that the borehole on the property was for his use.
Interventions
Police intervention in land disputes has become a regular necessity in the Kavango West Region, according to Ncaute station commander James Shamwazi.
He explained that police are often called to mediate disputes to protect lives and property and prevent the use of dangerous objects. In a recent case at Naingopo village, police responded to a land dispute involving two individuals claiming the same piece of land. A firearm was confiscated during the incident, though the complainant declined to press charges. Shamwazi emphasised that if traditional leaders cannot resolve these conflicts, additional stakeholders, including government ministries, would step in to address illegal fencing and land access issues.
‘Organised chaos’
The violent repercussions of land conflicts have extended beyond Kavango West. In a high-profile 2019 incident, former deputy director at the ministry of works and transport Lemmy Mutonga was fatally shot during a land dispute in the Zambezi region.
Last month, a Katima Mulilo court sentenced his killers, George and Clemens Sibalatani, to 18 years for murder and an additional two years for firearm possession. Other family members involved received sentences for assault.
Addressing land rights issues during a recent meeting with the Boundaries Delimitation and Demarcation Commission, Namibian Lives Matter Movement chairperson Sinvula Mudabeti criticised the government’s inconsistent handling of boundary disputes, citing discrepancies in how boundary disputes are handled.
“There was a dispute between Kavango East and Kavango West and because Kavango East couldn’t push above 70 km west, they came and pushed 100 km west into Caprivi, and nobody raised it. When we want to correct things, we are reminded that we may be going to the ‘Bantustans. In fact, for lack of better words, many delimitation commissions operated on organised chaos. What we are doing here is to restore the historical narratives of men and women who fought for the liberation of this country, who are now back and are standing up, surprised that things are changing here and not anywhere else,” he said.
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