ONDONGA – President Nangolo Mbumba has urged police officers patrolling the Namibia-Angola border to allow the import of mahangu grains from Angola.
He said this during the ground-breaking ceremony of the Ondonga heritage shrine in the Oshikoto region on Friday.
“Police officers should let people import mahangu. Where else will they get mahangu from? Let us share the little we have equally.
The one who has water should give others to drink, and who has food should give others to eat,” Mbumba advised.
Last August, the agriculture minister gave farmers the green light to buy mahangu from Angola, but with limitations.
The new regulations followed complaints from the public about being prevented from bringing harvested mahangu grains and beans from Angola into Namibia.
According to the ministry, small-scale importers are permitted to bring in between 250kg (5 bags of 50kg) to 500kg (10 bags of 50kg) of agronomic products (grain) per person per month for commercial use, and a maximum of 200kg (4 bags of 50kg) per person per month for personal consumption.
Furthermore, mahangu grains and beans purchased from Angola within a 60km radius in the specified quantities are exempted from phytosanitary requirements.
Executive director Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata in a public notice last year stated the ministry recognises the need to allow people to import these products, without burdening them with requirements they may not afford.
“With an anticipated drought in Namibia that may affect crop yield, the ministry foresees increased sourcing/purchasing of mahangu grains and beans from neighbouring countries, such as Angola,” she said.
She added that the import, export and transit rules and procedures for controlled agronomic products allow small-scale importation of controlled agronomic products (i.e., grains) into Namibia for commercial and personal use during open border periods – not during closed border periods.
Nonetheless, this arrangement applies only at entry points on the Namibian side, and may not be applicable to the Angolan Competent Authority.
Meanwhile, President Mbumba has appealed to Namibia’s friends in the world to assist the Southern African Democratic Community (SADC) region with food, water and money to drill more boreholes.
He made the appeal during the 14th celebrations of the Annual Omagongo Cultural Festival on Saturday. It was hosted by the Ondonga Traditional Authority together with the eight northern traditional authorities, and took place at Onambango palace in Oshana region.
“I want to assure you that we are serious, the whole (SADC) region has already declared that we are facing drought, and we declared emergency,” he said.
At the same event, vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah called on Namibians to work together with the government to mitigate the drought.
“Namibia is faced with a severe drought again this year, affecting both humans and livestock,” she said.
– vkaapanda@nepc.com.na