Ongwediva
Squabbles between Namibian and Angolan street vendors at Oshikango have reached a point where Angolans are saying Namibian cattle posts in their country should be ‘relocated’ if Namibians continue to ‘harass’ Angolan traders.
Since May, thousands of Angolan traders have been flocking to Namibia’s border towns of Oshikango, Rundu and Outapi to sell produce such as sugar cane, tomatoes, mahangu grain and chickens, among others, at relatively low prices.
The increased cross-border trade involving Angolan traders stems from that country’s worsening economic crisis as a result of the massive drop in the price of oil, a commodity that forms the backbone of Angola’s economy, and because it has not diversified from its dependency on oil.
In light of the crisis the number of its citizens flocking to Namibia is on the rise which sees scores of street vendors crossing the border every day to trade goods.
Very few bother to obtain legal documents from the Namibian authorities and most of the traders enter Namibia through unauthorised areas along the border to in fact smuggle their goods into the country. Some traders come from as far as beyond Lubango.
The entire situation has enraged Namibian street vendors in Oshikango, who accuse Angolan vendors of killing their business by selling goods at very low prices.
Frustrated Namibian street vendors have now started to threaten Angolan traders with violence. Angolans, on the other hand, have also made a tit-for-tat threat, saying if locals continue being hostile to them the tens of thousands of cattle in Angola belonging to Namibians should be brought back to Namibia.
Withdrawing livestock from Angola could place drought-stricken Namibia in a tricky situation as over the decades the country, especially the northern communal areas, has relied on Angolan pastures for better grazing. This would also put in jeopardy efforts to control foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in northern Namibia. Southern Angola where Namibians have cattle posts has a large number of buffalo, and livestock and buffalo – the latter carriers of FMD – graze alongside each other.
Ohangwena Regional Governor Usko Nghaamwa said although there are no threats from Angolan nationals or the government, instigations by some Namibian politicians threaten to spoil the good relationship between the two countries.
He however warned that the issue needs to be treated cautiously as it has the potential to strain the excellent relationship.
“We have Namibians doing business in Angola, so we should be careful of what these instigators are telling us,” said Nghaamwa
Nghaamwa maintained that Angolans and all other foreign nationals selling goods in Namibia should be allowed to do so provided they follow the laws of the country.
“They must just go through the border checkpoints and obtain the necessary documents that enable them to operate in Namibia. Because if there is no control, if people are entering the country at illegal points, we are opening up our country to the smuggling of drugs, firearms and stolen vehicles, among others,” said Nghaamwa.
The governor said he reported the issue to central government and a meeting was convened late last week between the Namibian police, customs officials, immigration authorities and the Helao Nafidi Town Council, to see how best they can address the situation. Some officials present at the meeting are set to meet their Angolan counterparts sometime this week.
Helao Nafidi CEO Inga Iipinge confirmed that she was part of the meeting aimed at addressing the situation.
“What should be clear is that we are not against Angolans – no, we just want them to adhere to the laws of this country. They should simply get the necessary documents to do business here – just like everyone else,” said Iipinge.