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NAMIBIA, STOP GRABBING CAPRIVIAN LAND FROM CAPRIVIANS.
August 15, 2011
NAMIBIA, STOP GRABBING CAPRIVIAN LAND FROM CAPRIVIANS.

Since independence from 1990 to date, Namibia has been plundering the fauna and flora in the Caprivi. Firstly, because of diamonds they resettled the Barakwenas in Western Caprivi from areas where they extracted diamonds to the other. They erected farms from Divundu to Omega and resettled the Mbukushu of Kavango into those areas. The Mbukushus from Kavango wants to chase the Caprivian Barakwenas from Omega to Mbabwata. The Caprivi borders, like the whole of Africa was demarcated by our colonizers and Caprivi’s borders in the west stretches from Andara via Mukuvi to the Botswana border. In the north a cutline was demarcated between Angola and the Caprivi Strip and the River Zambezi divides the Caprivi Strip from Zambia. In the south the Rivers Kwandu and Chobe separates Caprivi Strip and Botswana.

The action taken by the Namibian regime to move the border plate board is a desperate action of a nincompoop government desperate to deny the Caprivian nation their right to enjoy the wealth found on their land. We are aware that De beers discovered diamonds in the Caprivi Strip in 2007 and have since extracted those minerals. This is the reason why the Namibian government has shifted the border from Andara and Mukuvi to where it is now without the consent of Caprivians. Now, because of these problems that stemmed from the SWAPO manifesto to grab land from Caprivians and use it as farms for Ovambos, and the sheer dishonesty on the part of SWAPO, and SWAPO’s policy of excluding Caprivians from the share of the pie, coupled by the fact that Namibia from 1990 has been governing and administering the Caprivi Strip illegally, Caprivians finally decided to seek their own State and government.

It is important to note that when African states gained freedom from European rule, they all became staunch defenders of the existing boundaries. The charter of the Organization of African Unity government thus contains an agreement by the signatory governments to "respect the frontiers (of all member states) existing on their achievement of national independence." In the extensive turbulence of postcolonial African politics, there have been very few attempts by States to take over significant portions of their neighbors' territories. The only successful secession movements then were based on previous colonial boundaries (Eritrea, Somaliland), axcept the last and recent one (Southern Sudan).

Southern Sudan has just celebrated its first independence from the mainland Arabic Sudan, Caprivi Strip Case is unstoppable as unlike Sudan, we have natural boundaries that were demarcated during the scramble of Africa. The AU and SADC’s claim not to interfere with the borders that were drawn and demarcated by our former colonizers now hold no water. The Caprivian nation has suffered enough that the international community must come to their rescue by finding a lasting solution to the stalemates between Namibia and the people of the Caprivi.

While SWAPO is exploiting the natural resources in Western Caprivi, they not only stopped there but have also decided to destroy the land between Sangwali and Katima Mulilo. In disguise they have blinded the people in Caprivi with an open fact that they want to bring in outsiders, like for example Ovambos, to come and grab the land from their rightful owners. They say forewarned is for armed, the people of the Caprivi should see through the demonic eyes of the SWAPO regime. Once you allow them access to your land, it will be difficult to chase them aware when that land will be needed most by your next generation. Let us not make a mistake now that will cost us dearly as our next generation will never forgive us. This issue is not only for the Barakwenas, it is not only for the Mafwe, it involves all the people in the Caprivi, Mafwe Masubia, Mayeyi, Matotela, Mambukushu, Malozi, Mabarakwena, etc. United we can defeat our foes and allies. Remember the story of the Camel and its master.

What has happened to you people at home? Western Caprivi is being plundered by the SWAPO regime. That land is Caprivi which belongs to Caprivians and not Namibians. Do you people still waiting for the Namibian government to take everything and chase you out that when you will react to these deliberate actions? The Barakwenas that were murdered in Western Caprivi and now being tossed away from their ancestral land is clear example of a government which will stop at nothing to achieve its aims and objectives to chase away Caprivians wherever they are and grab their land for their self interests. Now is the time to act to avoid the unforeseen circumstances later.

SWAPO has shown you their side of the story, that is they do not need Caprivians at all costs, firstly, when they dishonored the Lusaka merger of 1964, and they do so now by implementing their set objectives of resettling all Caprivians from the Caprivi Strip to use that land for their own ends. Development is not a matter of imposition on the people, but a matter of proper consultation, and only when the people agree to it, can such a plan be implemented.

Amidst all this chaos, we should not forget that the Namibian government arrested, tortured and imprisoned Caprivians for the past twelve years now and no solution has been reached by the Namibian authorities since then. Many people in the Caprivi have been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, their homes were ransacked by the Namibian forces, their dignity violated, and many were killed in the process. We remember that late Mrs. Noreen Kwala (the former Matron of Rundu hospital) after reporting to the media that Rundu Hospital mortuary could not afford to accommodate copses because it was very full, the following weekend she was murdered in western Caprivi and we leave it to you to guess who did the killing of that Matron. No wonder the utterances by Dr. Niikundo!

We cannot afford to watch Namibia destroy the fauna and flora which is our economic back borne the Caprivi only have. The suggestion by SWAPO to allow induna silalos to distribute land to its people could be a good one but it falls short in its tracks as it is politically coined to allow outsiders to have access to such land. The United Democratic Party (UDP) once suggested that if Namibia genuinely wanted to develop the Caprivi in terms of agriculture, it was only proper to develop the people by giving them the resources the need, like equipments and money and they could turn the Caprivi into a bread basket of that part of the world.

The Namibian regime should stop pretending that there is no problem in the Caprivi because the problem really exists. SADC, AU and the United Nations should delve on Namibia and force them to resolve the Caprivi Strip Case and let the owners concentrate on the next phase of economic development. Release all Caprivians in your prisons and allow mediation that will lead to self determination and independence of the Caprivi Strip to take place. We said this in the past and we say it now that we are not Namibians but a Caprivian nation.

UDP Bulela Sicaba Sa Utwa!!!!

Chrispin Mutoiwa
UDP Secretary for Information.


Source: United Democratic Party (UDP)


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