Omuthiya
Councillors and farmers unions in the Oshikoto Region have expressed dissatisfaction with the Veterinary Cordon Fence, known as “The Red Line” and have demanded its immediate removal, saying it deprives them of the opportunity to benefit from the sale of livestock.
Livestock north of the Red Line may not be sold overseas, while farmers in the south can sell their meat anywhere, some said.
This was highlighted on Wednesday at the Oshikoto Regional Council’s first extraordinary meeting, where all councillors supported the removal of the Red Line and vowed to take up the matter with the Oshikoto Farmers Union (OFU).
According to Thomas Lyakwata, a member of OFU, they will soon resume talks to remove the Red Line, after talks ceased last year when the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) affected the northern parts of the country.
“We will continue negotiating. Last year we were close to reaching an agreement, but it was just unfortunate that FMD erupted,” added Lyakwata.
Since 1990 repeated efforts have been made to remove the Red Line. A 2014 study found that erecting a 240 km fence between Namibia and Angola and doing away with the Red Line altogether would be the most viable option for the future of the Namibian livestock industry.
At the same occasion on Wednesday regional council chairperson Samuel Shivute urged fellow councillors to work relentlessly towards developing the region and to shy away from issues that cause disunity and disrupt the region’s performance.
“Let us guard against undermining each other or creating an environment which is not conducive to the smooth performance of the region. I want to remind you that although we’re now holding leadership positions on the party ticket, we’re expected and required to serve all Namibians as we made ourselves servants of the people, regardless of their political affiliation, ethnic group or race,” Shivute stated.
Shivute says teamwork is a pre-requisite for the region to achieve its goals, and urged office-bearers to portray good examples by working in harmony with administrative staff.
“When deliberating on matters concerning development of the region, we should at all times guard against fighting only for our constituencies, or those who are related to us,” he said.
Furthermore Shivute encouraged the elected officials to serve the people truthfully and to avoid cheap propaganda merely to score political points.