The evicted families are still stranded outside Farm Berg Aukas, 20 km outside Grootfontein, a week after they were removed from Ambassador Shipoh’s farm.
Tsumeb
Namibia’s High Commissioner to Nigeria Dr Peingondjabi Shipoh has denied that close to 100 San people were evicted from his farm, Berg Aukas outside Grootfontein, and disputes that the number of beasts confiscated by him amount to 500, as stated in earlier reports.
He maintains the eviction order was served to only 13 families, including 100 people, and he put the number of livestock belonging to the group at 140 animals. The animals are still on his farm.
Further, he said the evicted people are not San, but comprise several other ethnic groups: “These people invaded my farm after I bought it in 2011… So they denied me the opportunity to occupy my farm for five years.
“These people are trying to paint a wrong picture by saying they are from the marginalised [San] community… They are not. They are just giving a sympathy story. The majority are Damaras and Owambos, not as they claim. The San were just being paraded,” he alleged.
He also contends that the impression created is that he is the one who intends to auction the livestock of the evictees, saying the auction is being undertaken by the deputy sheriff.
“I will not auction their animals. I don’t need them and I don’t need their money either, nor do I need any proceeds from the deputy sheriff. All I want is my farm. That is it. Who is going to pay for the deputy sheriff’s services and security? Not me, I’m sorry!
“If the deputy sheriff invoiced them, they have to pay. If they don’t have the money he will auction their animals to cover his expenses, but I’m not involved. It has nothing to do with me. I want my farm back. It is a family farm, not a resettlement farm,” Shipoh emphasised.
Documents from the deputy sheriff seen by this reporter indicate that upon inspection there were 12 families living in corrugated houses erected around the main farmhouse.
It further indicated there were 140 animals on the farm at the time. It is further stipulated in the letter that the sheriff will need to rent a truck to be used in the eviction process to load and remove all items that do not belong to the new farm owner.
With regard to the cattle it is stated that the sheriff will need to obtain a permit from the State veterinarian to remove the animals and inform the said office where the beasts will be transported to. The evicted farm occupants are expected to foot all costs incurred by the deputy sheriff.
Shipoh said since he acquired the farm five years ago he has made numerous requests to the families living there to vacate his property, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. He then approached the courts to push for formal eviction, which was also resisted by the families on the farm – among them members of the San community.
The group was served with the latest eviction order on a week ago, but refused to budge. Against this background the police got involved in the eviction of the families on Monday last week. As of yesterday they were still stranded on the side of road outside Farm Berg Aukas.