WINDHOEK – Veld fires continue to destroy grazing for livestock and game in the Zambezi region. Regional governor Lawrence Sampofu told New Era yesterday the little grass, which most farmers relied on for the survival of their livestock, have been severely affected, especially in Kabbe North constituency. Asked how these veld fires started, he said they are not sure if it was deliberate or not. He appealed to people not to start veld fires, seeing there is drought and grass should be there for the livestock. The governor said the region did not experience livestock mortalities due to better grazing conditions. He said they had to seek help from the directorate of forestry to put out the veld fires in order to contain the situation. He, however, said there is hope after the region received good rains. He reported some parts of the Zambezi, particularly Katima Mulilo and nearby areas received some good rains up to 40mm last week. However, he said most parts of the region such as Sibbinda, Ibbu, Linyanti, Sankwali, Kasheshe and Muyako did not receive good rains yet. “We still have hope that rain will come, as it stopped again. The livestock in some areas are better, but in other villages they are deteriorating and dying due to drought,” Sampofu noted. Equally, he indicated Lake Liyambezi was still totally dry, while the Zambezi River is experiencing shallow water levels. Chobe and Kwando rivers are also low, with few streams having water. According to him, the water scarcity affected the livelihood of residents who mainly relied on rivers for fishing as a source of survival. Furthermore, he maintained that due to low or lack of water in the areas, livestock have to travel long distances in search of water. This, he says, has left many animals in bad condition. He said the government has availed an amount of N$19.2 million to connect water pipes in the region, in an effort to assist the people in dire need. Sampofu confirmed that some boreholes are drying up, while some are being rehabilitated.