Iuze Mukube

The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) president McHenry Venaani says the Veterinary Cordon Fence (VCF), also known as the red line, must be removed as it is not just merely a veterinary or agricultural issue, but a profound matter of historical injustice.

However, the red line’s removal should be done diligently to avoid creating further hardships while trying to resolve the issue, it could be deduced from the party’s statement.

The PDM reiterated that they have always supported the removal of the red line.

Reiterating Venaani and PDM’s stance, party secretary of economic affairs Gabriella Stadhauer said while the initial purpose of the red line was to prevent the spread of livestock diseases, the fence has evolved into a barrier that entrenches economic disparities.

“This includes limited access to lucrative markets and the inability to participate fully in Namibia’s export-driven beef industry,” she said.

Her remarks come in light of a High Court case instituted by Affirmative Repositioning movement leader Job Amupanda, who wants the court to declare the red line unlawful and unconstitutional.

Amupanda argues that the red line is a colonial structure, not sanctioned or made provision for by any laws in Namibia, that continues to be used to control the movement of people and animals from northern to southern Namibia.

Furthermore, Stadhauer said, the current system not only limits the economic potential of the north, but also stifles the overall growth of Namibia’s agricultural sector.

“While the veterinary rationale for the fence remains, it is undeniable that its continued existence has exacerbated regional inequalities,” she added.

Stadhauer said the northern regions are home to a significant proportion of the country’s population, yet these communities are systematically excluded from key economic opportunities.

Over the years, PDM has argued that the red line should only be removed after the country has built a proper fence between Namibia and Angola.

This is because removing the red line while allowing livestock in northern Namibia to roam freely between the two countries will have a disastrous impact on Namibia’s beef market. It is a position the party holds today.

“This proposed buffer zone would serve as a modernised mechanism for managing livestock diseases, while simultaneously unlocking economic opportunities for farmers in the north,” she said.

“The creation of such a zone aligns with global best-practices in animal health management, and offers a practical alternative to the divisive red line,” she said.

Furthermore, the buffer zone proposal will bridge the economic divide by enabling farmers in northern Namibia to access premium markets, the party said.

“While its removal is complex, it is an imperative that must be pursued with urgency, thoughtfulness, and inclusivity,” said Stadhauer.

Politicking

Meanwhile, Namibian academic and scholar Joseph Diescho also entered the red line discourse.  In a statement this week, he criticised Amupanda’s approach, accusing him of using it to advance his own political agenda.

“Amupanda did himself a terrible disservice by being so unprepared. The AR leader has a very unhelpful habit of seeing every public opportunity as a moment for him to grandstand and offer half-baked pseudo-revolutionary pep talks under the guise of a self-made Thomas Sankara of Namibia in interesting, homemade military outfits. That does not serve him well,” Diescho asserted.

However, he agrees the fence has no place in an independent Namibia.

“There is morally something very wrong about having this line, 35 years after independence. It should have been sorted out a long time ago. Secondly, the racial and ethnic undertones of the debate are very unfortunate.

“Thirdly, Namibia is one country, and a unitary State under one Constitution. There is thus no moral logic to keep the country divided because of meat: beef and dogmeat, to be exact. If it is indeed about health considerations, the state has a responsibility to regulate the matter and put health measures in place so that goods and services can move around the whole country without hindrance,” the Germany-based academic said.

Seemingly reacting to Diescho, Amupanda said: “The highest tree catches wind [the] most. 

A lion doesn’t lose sleep because of the opinion of a springbok. We stay in the motherland to fight, and not run away. 

Even cowards are allowed in our democratic society to express opinions. Let’s continue fighting.”

The red line case continues in court today.

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