THE  REAL  CAUSE  OF  TENSION  OVER  THE  CAPRIVI  

Having followed up thoroughly on the discussions over the subject by different people including the concerned group of academics and others, as well as the fired, ambitious and detailed opinion of the Director of the Society for Human Rights in Namibia. I came to think that the subject is getting wider and challenging. First of alI I would like to call upon those wanting to comment on the subject to help and bring a conclusive solution and avoid pumping people with hopes and fervent expectations of a new country in Namibia. Though there may be errors committed by government as humans too; there could be a way to solve the matter than getting it impregnated with wishful threats that may not take us far or anywhere.

Sometimes it is advisable too, to search for information yourself than using someone’s information most of which could be distorted or if so deemed fit verify the facts before putting them to public attention. In my own view I see the following playing part in the discussion:

• Lack of coordination of matters for public attention. • The principle of exclusion is common and well favoured. • The know all and collusion principle • Discrediting of other community members who may be seen as opponents and demons of doom

The above approach if embraced as the principles to the determination of our destiny, we might not see ourselves coming together in the very near future, for a long time to come. In the region for example some have made it a fact to discourage other communities to support each for a common course. Tribalism is seen walking and dancing on the floors of the region yet the same person tomorrow calls himself the leader of all. Back to the subject it is a fact of life that there exists a cutline between Kavango and Caprivi. The main river between the two rivers Kwando and Kavango is undoubtedly Kavango so Kwando cannot be a border between the two regions, logically speaking, it is the Kwando that divides the region into East and West Caprivi and the Kavango River divides the two regions from each other (Kavango and Caprivi) and it has always been so from time immemorial. Defection is an enemy of unity this has been observed among the other communities, since their defection they have never been at peace with their blood families but accusing them always as traitors for not being renamed after another tribal name. Do not drop your heritage for Kavango ou will regret. If the Hambukushu of West Caprivi want to become Hambukushu of Kavango let them go and west Caprivi remains. Since the time Hambukushu came into Caprivi I am tempted to say they have been part and parcel of the Caprivi and it was no mistake that Comrade Dinyando in 1992 became the first councilor in Mukwe and he was member of the Regional Council of Caprivi this is reality you do not need to read it. The line beyond the Kavango is imaginary and in line with Thipanana in the North in a way there are two minor borders between the two regions with two natural ones and one imaginary and determined by relevant coordinates adjacent to Thipanana Island. That having been noted I would like to bring in the issue of Kavango, Caprivi tension looming. My sister Nyangove this is an issue of failed coordination, the concerned group consulted a selective few and in my opinion you cannot present a document in public without thoroughly informing the people about it. West Caprivi is obviously part of Caprivi unless someone wants to grab it from its owners, that could be the only way one can claim ownership of a piece of land in that area. Obviously there was no coordination between the concerned group and the Caprivi Regional Council neither was there proper coordination between the two regions. Those who recommended the demarcation the way it is currently, did it out of self intuition or wishful ambitions. So West Caprivi remains put and should never be interfered with.

It should be committed to mind that there are people who occupied Bwabwata before and their rights have seriously been violated including those of the San who are currently majority residents in the area. In a way shifting the border to Kwando River would be a serious encroachment over other people’s land rights. One would have expected to do so from Kavango the bigger piece of land than from Caprivi. If Kavango cannot part with part of Mukwe how does Kavango expect Caprivi to part with West Caprivi; over our dead bodies. Maybe the reason is that government has built structures in west Caprivi there is no problem making those to be used by both residents on the other side of the river and those of the Caprivi/Zambezi it has been so all the time after all they are all Namibians and no one in the past has been refused to use the resources in the West Caprivi; why worry now? Let us be Namibians not be aliens to each other our ancient people Diveve, Mbamba and Mayevelo lived in the area and there has never been any encroachment or grabbing of land experienced what went wrong now? And we always have been one people let us continue to be so in the independent Namibia. As hinted earlier on I may not hesitate to say here that whoever was coordinating the activity failed dismally to coordinate with the Regional Council and came with conflicting issues to the Delimitation Committee meeting I as one I would have supported any proposal recommending Mukwe to be ceded back to Caprivi and loathe the idea of shifting the border to the Kwando. If Caprivi is part of Namibia let West Caprivi remain part of the Zambezi now and in the future. I call upon all peace loving Kavango and Zambezi residents to: Loathe tribalism Reject separatism and cessationism Resent land encroachment and grabbing officially or otherwise Concerned Namibian From Zambezi Region The opinions raised here may not necessarily be the express opinion of all people from Zambezi Region but those with land at heart may as well share this opinion