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The Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed that the president’s directive in May only applies to areas bordering Angola due to “exceptional circumstances”.
Ethnic minority groups along the country’s borders have accused the country of tribal bigotry following revelations that President Nangolo Mbumba’s directive in May allowed the importation of mahangu grain from Angola but applied only to the Oshiwambo-speaking region.
In May, Mbemba, speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ondonga Heritage Temple in the Oshikoto region, urged the Border Patrol Police to allow Namibians to import mahangu from Angola. Namibian Life First (NLM), a pressure group originating from the Zambezi region, charged that Mbemba’s directive should apply to other regions also affected by the current drought but not bordering Angola.
Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture told the Namibian Sun this week that the arrangement was particularly suitable for areas along the Namibian-Angola border due to “unique circumstances” in those areas.
According to the ministry, the decision to allow the import of cereals, especially mahangu and cattle feed, and to reduce restrictions was due to the observation of the inflow of these cereals from Angola, which is linked to the northeastern eastern border.
The move is aimed at making imports through official borders, rather than unofficial entries, easier and more controlled, the ministry said, stressing that the arrangement applies only to the Namibia-Angola border.
“Without a physical border, imposing restrictions would be difficult to manage. Our goal is to make this process more practical and manageable by encouraging the use of official border entries. In other areas, permits will still be required to import grain.”
Selective application of law
Executive director Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata said in a bulletin last year that the ministry recognised the need to enable individuals to import these products without imposing unbearable requirements on them.
“Due to the expected drought in Namibia, which could affect crop production, the ministry expects to increase procurement of mahangu grains and pulses from neighbouring countries such as Angola,” she said.
NLA chairman Sinvula Mudabeti accused the government of selectively applying the law to benefit some regions while excluding all other regions that could face similar or even worse challenges.
“According to recent projections of the impacts of the impending drought, the Zambezi region is more vulnerable to the worst effects of the drought due to lower rainfall compared to other parts of Namibia, yet initiatives to help people mitigate the effects of the drought are targeted at those areas that are less likely to suffer the worst effects of the drought,” he said.
“The question that needs to be answered by Mbemba is on what basis did he exempt a part of Namibia from the legal constraints of importing mahangu and (why he did not do so) at the national level? Considering that the staple food of the Zambezi people is maize, which is not as drought-tolerant as mahangu, why does the Ministry of Agriculture not allow the import of maize meal and sweet potatoes from Zambia to Namibia? Are the lives of Zambezi residents less than the lives of people in other parts of the same country?” he asked in an open letter.
Ethnocentric behavior
Responding to the Ministry of Agriculture’s claim this week that Mbemba had to issue the directive because of the peculiarities of the Namibian-Angola border, Mudabeti asked: “What have they done for the people of the Zambezi, Kavango, Omahke and southern parts of Namibia that border South Africa?”
“What has the ministry done to the rest of Namibia? The ministry allowed the import of milk in the northern regions except Oshiwelo while confiscating milk in the Mururuani Zambezi and Kavango regions,” he said.
“We will not allow government officials to become an extension of a politically oppressive regime that discriminates against ethnic minorities in the country. We will take this matter to the Prime Minister to seek answers as to why the Executive Director of the Ministry of Agriculture supports ethnocentric behavior in a free Namibia,” he added.
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