Staff Reporter
VICE President Lucia Witbooi recently held a high-level meeting with relevant stakeholders in Outjo, Kunene, to deliberate on the challenges and future of the Hai-//om San community residing in and around Etosha National Park.
She explained that the meeting followed concerns raised by members of the Hai-//om San community regarding the living conditions of those residing within and around Etosha National Park. It also followed a consultative meeting held on 16 February 2026 with the relevant ministries to develop a coordinated Government response.
DELIBERATING: Scenes from the high-level meeting. Photos: Office of the Vice President.
“In line with the mandate of the Office of the Vice President for Marginalised Communities, it was resolved that a comprehensive Livelihoods Options and Development Plan be developed to address the socio-economic challenges confronting the Hai-//om San community. To inform this process, it was directed that a multidisciplinary technical team, drawn from the relevant Offices, Ministries and Agencies (OMAs), undertake a detailed field assessment across Namutoni, Halali, Okaukuejo, Ombika and the Hai-//om San resettlement farms adjacent to Etosha National Park. I wish to commend the officials who carried out this important assignment over the past week,” Witbooi said.
The Vice President added that she also recently had the opportunity to undertake a working visit to Ombika and the resettlement farms designated for the Hai-//om San community, namely Farm Serringkop, Farm Bellalaika and Farm Nuchas, accompanied by the relevant ministers, governors and technical officials.
According to her, the visit provided valuable first-hand insight into both the challenges facing the Hai-//om San community and the significant development opportunities available. She emphasised that the evidence gathered and the data collected will inform a coordinated, practical and sustainable Government response.
“Today’s engagement is therefore not just a consultation, but a demonstration of Government’s resolve to advance inclusive development through collaborative planning, evidence-based decision-making and sustainable interventions that will restore dignity, strengthen livelihoods and create lasting opportunities for the Hai-//om San community. I therefore encourage all participants to engage openly, constructively, honestly and with due respect for one another. Let us focus our collective energies on developing practical, coordinated and sustainable solutions that respond to the realities on the ground. Our recommendations should be realistic, implementable and capable of informing the comprehensive Plan that will ultimately be submitted to the Cabinet Committee on Land and Social Issues, and thereafter to Cabinet for consideration,” Witbooi added.
