Govt to compensate Ohangwena farmers
ONGWEDIVA - The environment ministry will offer assistance to farmers whose crops were destroyed by elephants in the Omundaungilo constituency this past weekend.
Spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said the affected farmers will receive assistance through the ministry’s policy on human-wildlife conflict.
According to Muyunda, two separate groups estimated to be about 30 herds of elephants combined evaded Omundaungilo and destroyed a crop field between Omundaungilo and Omhalapapa.
The elephants are reported to have come from Angola where they were spotted in the last days.
Muyunda said the elephants voluntarily and some with the assistance from the ministry’s staff started moving back into Angola on Saturday evening and by Sunday morning there was no trace of an elephant in the area.
They are reported to have arrived in the area on Saturday morning, the councillor for Omundaungilo constituency
Festus Ikanda said.
“Before they arrived here, we have been hearing that they were spotted across the borders in Angola,” said Ikanda.
According to Ikanda, the elephants destroyed one crop field fence before moving into the neighbour’s crop field where they severely damaged crops.
“They damaged the fence around one crop field and a few crops but moved into a crop field where the crops are much bigger and damaged a lot of those crops,” said Ikanda. The councillor said an assessment is yet to be done on the extent of the damage made to the crops. He said the elephants were last in the area in 2015.
Meanwhile, Muyunda has urged the community to be on alert at all times for the elephants.
He also cautioned the community to be vigilant at night and where possible to refrain from walking at night.
The governor of Ohangwena, Walde Ndevashiya, donated two bags of 50kg maize meal and cooking oil to the affected families.
OSHAKATI – The possibility of farmers in the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs) to export meat to foreign markets were dashed by the foot-andmouth disease (FMD) outbreak in January this year.
Agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein said it is a prerequisite for the area to be disease-free for a number of years before the farmers can be permitted to export the products to foreign markets.
“For now, it is not possible; the outbreak pushed the deadline further into the future,” said Schlettwein.
The minister was speaking at a meeting with the political leadership, traditional authorities and the farmers union on Friday at Oshakati.
In the meantime, the minister urged farmers to improve their farming practices to ensure that chances of an outbreak are minimal, as it has a direct impact on livestock products.
“We are now trying to fast-track the commodity best trades – but even then, if a disease outbreak happens, the restriction or the conditions for that trade is not possible,” said Schlettwein.
The minister, however, stressed that livestock production is still at the core of the regional economy, citing that once the production value chain is interrupted by restrictions, it has a further direct impact on the vendor’s retailers and the consumers.
Schlettwein said, at present, the meat value chain that was supplied by the local farmers have now been replaced by the farmers in the south.
“Because you cannot sell, the south is now taking your place in the market. You can only claim your market back once the disease has been contained,” said Schlettwein.
At present, 70% of the meat produced is currently exported.
Meanwhile, the ministry has secured N$1.7 million vaccination to vaccinate at least 800 000 herds of cattle in the NCAs.
The total cost to roll out the programme is N$97 million.
The target at the moment is at least 500 000 of cattle in areas where the disease was not previously present.
The NCAs is currently under quarantine until 6 March 2021 if there are no further cases detected within the same area.
Swapo parliamentarian Modestus Amutse has cautioned citizens against the abuse of social media to spread false and malicious information designed to mislead the public.
Amutse, who is also the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Communication Technology and Innovation, was addressing the youth in
Omusati region last weekend.
Amutse accused some members of the public of disrespectful conduct, blameshifting as well as promoting disunity.
“Despite constitutional provisions, unethical use of media freedom can destroy the unity, peace and stability that the country has successfully built over the years,” he cautioned.
Apart from tearing the country’s peace apart and promoting societal moral decay, Amutse said communities are often trapped into being misinformed through such conduct.
He urged the public to be extra-cautious against unwarranted information on social media, as some of these are plotted to misguide public and fulfil political interests.
Amutse called on the public to actively participate in the debate on Access to Information Bill once tabled for a public hearing later this year, as concerted efforts will strengthen the Bill’s ability to guide constructive use of social media.
Whilst commending Namibian media practitioners for keeping the nation abreast with timely information, the former journalist blamed some media houses for selective and bias reporting, which he claimed, such conduct deprives the public of the benefits of inclusive and accurate reporting.
“Namibia has experienced a string of political leadership and personal attacks through social media over the past two years, that include immoral exposure of love-making postures between lovers,” said Amutse.