DROUGHT CLAIMS 123 CATTLES IN NAMIBIA

Farmers at Orevia in
the Omaheke Region have since
last year lost 123 cattle due to
the severe drought affecting 900
000 people in the country.
Because of the stock losses
communal farmers say close to
100 people in dire straits.
Ukarapo Tjirombora, the
headman and traditional
councillor of Orevia, told New Era
that to make matters worse, the
machinery which pump water to
the only water point in the area
broke down last year already and
have not been repaired.
The community now depends on
a borehole, which also does not
contain "sufficient water", as it is
apparently not very deep to
provide the required quantity of
water, according to Tjirombora.
Tjirombora said that
consequently residents have had
to stop gardening, which has
always been a means of
providing food as they used to
plant mealies, carrots,onions and
other crops for own use.
"Even the dam has no water," he
said, adding that the foundation
is broken and trees have started
growing in the base of the dam.
Tjirombora said the community
made a submission to
government already in 2000 to
have their water point renovated
but nothing has come of it.
"We are happy with the food that
government is giving, but
government must do something
for our cattle," said Tjirombora.
Another resident of Orevia,
Mesag Kavirindi, said the drought
is very disturbing and
maintained that government
must introduce some form of
subsidy as the ones in place are
not helping much to alleviate
their situation.
He said that the process of
getting a subsidy was also
cumbersome and expensive as
they have to spend money when
travelling to Gobabis to make
claims, while their livestock sell
for peanuts.
Pumaa Katuuo, another resident,
said that sometimes it is difficult
to tell how many animals have
died of drought, because the
cattle go deep into the veld and
die there or fall into holes and
are unable to get out.
Other farmers in the drought-
stricken Omaheke Region have
also called on government to
come up with some form of
subsidy if they are to survive the
drought.
They complained that that the
amount of subsidy government
gives for every animal sold could
hardly buy a bag of fodder and
claimed that other governments
were subsidising their farmers to
stay in business as agriculture is
an important contributor to the
national economy.
Gabriel Kangowa, the Deputy
Director of Risk Management in
the Office of the Prime Minister
said they have been supplying
bags of maize, weighing 12.5 kg
each to those in need and have
covered many areas that need
assistance.
He said although drought relief
food was initially for the San
people, now with the food crisis
in the area, everyone was being
accommodated.
Jeff Kandjii of the agriculture
ministry said they have identified
areas where new boreholes
needed to be drilled in Aminuis.