Ongwediva
Guinas Constituency Councillor Betty Kaula is concerned about illegal land sales and the fencing off of communal land, which she says is currently rife in the Tsintsabis and Oerbwood settlements.
Speaking to New Era this week Kaula said the San community in the concerned areas have allegedly resold and rented out portions of the 10 hectares allocated to them by government through the Ministry of Land Reform.
Kaula said the high number of illegal fences erected on communal land has compromised grazing in the area, because most of fertile grazing areas are illegally fenced off. The new owners are now demanding lease agreements, a situation she says is unacceptable, as they are not the rightful owners.
“The situation is really worrisome and we need the ministry to step in to assist us. I do not even know where the rightful owners are currently living,” said a concerned Kaula.
She is also calling for an improved system of issuing national documents, because a large section of the constituency’s populace is still without birth certificates, which prevents them from acquiring national ID documents, without which it is difficult – if not impossible – to find gainful employment or to secure State grants, such as the old age pension.
She said the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration needs to find ways to ensure everyone obtains these national documents. “It is a challenge. Many of the people here do not have national documents, because they are unemployed and have to travel between 30 and 80 kiometres to Tsumeb to obtain national documents,” she explained.
On a positive note, Kaula said her office is mandated to reopen the bakery and coffin projects at Tsintsabis and Oshivelo to create jobs for the high number of unemployed youth in the area.
She said the youth have been trained through the Office of the Prime Minister to run the project and will through the projects be able to contribute to the local economy.