By Chrispin Inambao KATIMA MULILO BAXTER Makando Kulobone, a human rights activist in Caprivi, speaks with religious conviction in his occasional NBC radio programme addressing an array of human rights issues. Ironically, Kulobone was recently arrested for a crime involving gross human rights violations. According to sources Kulobone, 44, and his associates Alfred Namayabona Chilinda, 58, Brighton Maimbolwa Sankombo, 27, and Marklee Mweti Matengu, 24, roughened up several villagers whom they abducted and took to the tribal khuta at Chinchimani. The highly-charged incident arose from a long-running tribal dispute involving a fertile piece of land at Lake Liambezi in the Muyako area involving Mafwe and Masubia tribesmen that has since been referred to the Council for Traditional Leaders. While Kulobone, the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) head in Caprivi and his associates are Mafwe from Kanono area, the village headman and others who were subjected to this type of kangaroo justice are from the Masubia tribe at Muyako. The ugly turn of events took place one morning shortly before Christmas at Chiki in the disputed Lake Liambezi area where the village headman George Mwinga Lukonga, Joseph Lukonga Maimbolwa and tractor driver Benjamin Walombola were ploughing. Kulobone, who was allegedly seething with rage and accompanied by several people, reportedly descended on the three men whom they wildly punched and kicked. In the heat of the moment, some of the victims escaped on foot and one tried to flee using a tractor. But according to several sources, the human rights activist allegedly drew a 9 mm pistol and fired several shots at the man trying to flee on a tractor but miraculously missed the driver. They only damaged the tractor and the driver was forced to surrender. “The tractor driver got on a tractor and tried to flee for his safety but he had to surrender,” said an investigating officer, adding that Chilinda and others then caught up with the elderly headman and another man whom they “abducted” and handed over to the khuta of the Mafwe tribe at Chinchimani. And Chilinda, a senior Agriculture, Water and Forestry employee at the regional office at Katima Mulilo rained a barrage of punches on Lukonga an elderly village headman who like others is said to have taken a severe battering at the hands of the group. A few hours later, the men were rescued by police reinforcements from Ngoma before they could be subjected to further punishment. Deputy Commissioner Tyves Kampolo, the Regional Police Commander in Caprivi confirmed the incident and said the human rights activist and his accomplices were arrested. They face charges of kidnapping, assault with intent to inflict grievously bodily harm, common assault, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, driving a motor vehicle with the owner’s consent, and the negligent discharge of a firearm. The five suspects recently appeared in a courtroom that was packed to capacity at Katima Mulilo where it generated a lot of public interest and were granted bail of N$1000 each. They were cautioned to make another court appearance in February. Acting magistrate George Mushabati presided over the case and Esther Jafett prosecuted when the suspects briefly appeared in court at Katima Mulilo. A warrant was also issued for another suspect, Axiom Matengu Matengu, to be arrested. “The most important thing is it involves people who are not supposed to be involved. I am referring to a government employee and a human rights activist who went to the extent of discharging several shots from a 9 mm pistol,” said the Deputy Commissioner. The fertile piece of land in the Lake Liambezi area, where several communal farmers from the Masubia and Mafwe tribes cultivate maize, sorghum, millet, pumpkins, watermelons and sugar cane, is currently a bone of contention between the Chinchimani khuta of Chief George Simasiku Mamili on the one hand and Chief Kisco Liswani III at Bukalo on the other, who both claim ancestral jurisdiction. Though there are similar disputes over farming and grazing rights, this particular incident that took place at noon on December 22 was the worst as it involved violence.