RUNDU – The Ukwangali Traditional Authority has cancelled a leasehold with schoolteacher Emil Mbuto after he refused to cede part of his fenced farm No. 1 291 to a councillor of Ukwangali.
Mbuto fell out with the traditional authority that initially gave him the land after he refused to give a portion of his farm to Reino Ndadi the chief councillor of the traditional authority.
The farm, which was originally leased to Mbuto’s elder brother in 1999 was later given to him (Mbuto) after his brother passed away in 2004.
The traditional authority even granted him customary land rights after the family decided he should inherit the farm.
Mbuto said: “The problem started when the traditional authority summoned me to the palace of Hompa (Chief) Daniel Sitentu Mpasi and told me that the farm is too big for me and that I should give a portion to the chief councillor of the traditional authority, Reino Ndadi. I told them I can’t because my brother’s children will want to be part of the farm when they are old as I inherited the farm from their father. How will they see me, and I have already got into a temporary agreement with a partner at the farm who the traditional authority approved on paper!”
The traditional authority later decided to sell part of his farm to one farmer a certain E Scholtz. “He [E Scholtz] already came to my farm and left a message and a mobile number where I should call him and when I called him, he said he bought a portion of the farm from the traditional authority,” he said.
Mbuto said that Ndadi was once given a farm but failed to develop it. “Now he wants to come to my farm and settle since I have now developed it and spent huge amounts of money on it, is that fair?” asked Mbuto.
He said he had taken out loans to fence the farm as well as to pay for drilling a costly borehole to enable his livestock to get a continuous supply of water.
The traditional authority has already issued Mbuto with an eviction letter. “They want me to walk away from what I worked for but who is going to repay me the money I spent on this land together with my partner who assisted me to fence the farm? We have our water pump working with solar panels and three water tanks worth N$350 000. The fencing and all the sheep, the goats and cattle are worth over million,” he said.
But he promised to take the traditional authority to court for breach of contract and for trying to evict him from what he says is rightfully his land.
When approached for comment the chairman of the Ukwangali Traditional Authority, Joseph Kandjimi, said he had nothing to say. But he claimed everything was “clear” in the letter sent to the complainant who must leave the farm.
By John Muyamba