The redline is known as a colonial initiative, normally using Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) to qualify its stay since 1896. 

Currently, the Professor and a former mayor of Windhoek is fighting tooth and nail in court to push for its removal in 90 days, should the court decide in his favour. 

Even though this is not his sole fight against the redline, many Namibians are supporting him on many platforms for being at the forefront of championing the fall of the redline. 

The line is a reminder to Namibians of the German colonialism in the country that lived with us for 129 years. 

It was a well-thought tactic by the German administration to use the redline to effectively continue discriminating against thousands of Namibians who lived at that time, and ensured that the suffering would be felt by the next generations. 

The red line is a strategy to solely offer economic power to the minority that is on the southern side. 

It creates a sustainable profitable market for them, and deprives black communities who are in the northern areas. The advantages of the redline are fewer than its disadvantages. 

It is a parasite to the country’s economy and a well-calculated formula that benefitted the white minorities and a few black politicians who used their office power to secure farms on the southern side. 

Thus, one cannot trust their presence in the fight against the fall of the redline because it is indeed their cash cow. At the time the redline was put into force, the proposers knew well that its existence would inflict more economic harm to black communities beyond the line. 

In addition, the redline was supposed to end immediately after independence in 1990, and forget all the harmful tools of the German colony. 

Those who support its permanent existence are the current beneficiaries who are using unconvincing reasons to protect their market, and generate more money in local and foreign markets. 

It is the same redline that disqualified numerous northern farmers from selling their meat at all corners of the country, preventing them from having abattoirs that could sell meat within and beyond borders. 

It is disappointing to learn that former and current politicians who have farms on the southern side of the redline are using their political office power to back up the fight of the minority who are against the complete removal of the redline. 

These politicians are doing so for their best interests against the interest of the majority who are eager to witness its removal and ban its colonial restrictions. Furthermore, a few individuals who do not support the removal of the redline are not scared of the possible spread of FMD. 

They are merely afraid of losing their customer base, who may eventually start bringing their meat from the northern side to the southern side.

The redline is currently one of the major barriers to economic growth in the land, as meat produced in northern Namibia cannot be traded in the southern areas of the redline, where most buyers are based. 

One will not understand why a small piece of meat produced in Onamafipa/Omaalala village cannot reach the capital city. 

One may wonder how such a small frozen piece of meat in a closed bucket in someone’s car may quickly spread the FMD from farm A to B. 

This is indeed an economic robbery and an insult to the northern farmers, who are denied access to a lucrative market in Windhoek. 

The redline, in my view, needs to be removed completely, or shifted to the borders.

We need to say goodbye to what is known as “the best division tool”. It is important for the court or government to honestly decide on a win-win situation about the redline, a situation that is equally fair enough for both northern and southern farmers. 

There is a need to re-focus on strengthening animal disease control measures throughout the country. 

The redline is preventing numerous Namibians from effectively participating in livestock farming as far as the lucrative market entry barrier is concerned. 

In the end, anything that was decided during the colonial era needs to be reviewed, as some of the colonial tools, such as the redline, possess numerous hidden agendas that are oppressing certain communities, and cannot be trusted in a democratic State.