Staff Reporter
THE Oshikoto Regional Communal Land Board, supported by the Lands Division of the Oshikoto Regional Council and the National Youth Service (NYS), has started removing an illegal fence at Onamishu Village in the Nehale Lya Mpingana Constituency, following a lengthy legal and administrative process.
The removal exercise, which began this week, forms part of efforts to enforce communal land regulations and ensure that community members have equitable access to grazing areas and natural resources.
Oshikoto Regional Council Deputy Director for Lands Wino Mwilima said the fence was reported by community members in 2020, who complained that it restricted their access to communal land.
Video and Photos: Oshikoto Regional Council
She explained that investigations, hearings and an appeal process were conducted before the final decision was made that the fence should be removed.
“We are here in Onamishu Village in the Onalusheshete Traditional District, one of the Ondonga Traditional Authority districts, together with the board and NYS to oversee the removal of a fence that was reported back in 2020,” Mwilima said.
She said the matter was referred to the appeal tribunal after the hearing process, but the original decision was upheld.
“The ruling was the same — the fence has to be removed,” she said.
The fence, which measures approximately 170 metres, was among several reported illegal fences in the area. Mwilima said five other fences that had previously been reported had since complied with the regulations, leaving only the Onamishu fence to be removed.
She said areas occupied by homesteads and crop fields are exempted under communal land regulations, but the disputed section was the fenced-off area that prevented community access.
“The complaints were that people did not have access to this area anymore. After a few years, a pathway was created so that people could pass through, but this is the area that was in question,” Mwilima said.
She added that complaints relating to illegal fences follow a formal process, which includes notifying the fence owner, conducting investigations, holding hearings and communicating the outcome.
“When a complaint about a fence is reported, we acknowledge receipt from the complainant and notify the fence owner through the traditional authority. Thereafter, we constitute a team that conducts investigations,” she said.
Mwilima said fence owners are informed about the investigation process and given an opportunity to respond before decisions are made.
She added that affected parties are also informed of their right to appeal if they are dissatisfied with the outcome.
Oshikoto Regional Communal Land Board Chairperson Dr Paulina Uugwanga and board member Fabian Venasiu also explained the removal process to residents in Oshiwambo, while outlining the correct procedures for applying for land in communal areas.
The authorities said the exercise is aimed at protecting communal land rights and ensuring that land remains accessible to communities in accordance with the law.
