Land disputes scrutinisedafter two men killed

Communal land disputes and the handling of grazing rights have come under scrutiny following the alleged killing of two men at Otjase village east of Okakarara on Tuesday. Otjozondjupa senior inspector Maureen Mbeha says five suspects have been arrested in connection with the deaths of Mandume Musengua (48) and Maximilian Katjimune (40), who were allegedly attacked following a dispute over communal grazing land. The police have confirmed that the suspects were expected to appear before the Okakarara Magistrate’s Court during the week. Human rights activist Jarii Ua Tjatindi says traditional authorities need to be equipped to handle complex land disputes. “The issue is one of capacity,” he says.

Ua Tjatindi says traditional authorities should not necessarily be stripped of their responsibility to administer communal land, but should be capacitated to handle disputes lawfully and fairly. Some traditional authorities lack the necessary understanding of land administration, customary law and legal procedures, he says. Meanwhile, traditional councillor for the Ovaherero Traditional Authority in the Aminuis constituency Freddie Koujou says greed and the fencing off of communal grazing land are among the major causes of disputes in communities. “It is common land for all, but some of the people who are stronger financially tend to want to fence off or benefit more from these communal setups,” he says. Koujou says some people who fence off communal land also rent it out to individuals who are not from the…