SIVARA – As the rainy season begins many communal farmers in Kavango West are ploughing their fields.
When New Era visited some areas in Kavango West, many fields had already been ploughed or were being ploughed with oxen in preparation for the mahangu season.
New Era spoke to one family at Sivara village some 83 km east of Nkurenkuru in Kavango West, where Monika Kantikili and her husband Justinus Haingura said they started ploughing their fields early this month with the onset of the rainy season. “We started ploughing when we first received rain and it was some good rain – thus we also started to work in both our fields,” said Monika in Rukwangali.
“We are both unemployed so we have to plough our fields in order to get something out,” said Monika’s husband Haingura.
In Kavango many families use oxen to plough their mahangu and maize fields and use the manpower of the immediate family to sow the seeds.
“My children are helping us together with some other close family members. We are hoping to have a productive harvest come next year,” explained Haingura.
The couple said their only fear is pests.
“Last year we had pests in our field and that wasn’t good as we lost out in a way, because the pests fed on our crops. We hope this year it will be different,” said Monika in anticipation of a good harvest.
The couple also said although they are busy ploughing they will put down their tools on Friday to go and vote.
“We are going to vote, as that is a must for us. People should go out there and vote for the party they believe in, it is important for our country,” Monika and Haingura said together.
By John Muyamba