Tsumkwe San petition for removal of chief over illegal land allocations
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The San community of Tsumkwe West has asked the government to remove !Kung Traditional Authority chief Ilony Arnold, accusing her administration of facilitating illegal allocations to commercial farmers.
The San community of Tsumkwe West has petitioned for the removal of !Kung Traditional Authority chief Ilony Arnold, accusing her of facilitating illegal land allocation to commercial farmers, The Namibian reported.
In a petition dated 13 October and addressed to several government offices, the community accuses Arnold and her councillors of presiding over years of land grabbing, illegal fencing, intimidation and the destruction of traditional livelihoods. It gives the government 25 days to announce dates for urgent intervention meetings at the affected villages, warning that failure to act would trigger mass demonstrations and regional blockades.
Community member Nandu Dumba said vast stretches of ancestral communal land have been fenced off and converted into commercial livestock paddocks, leaving San residents confined to narrow corridors and unable to reach firewood, traditional foods and medicinal plants. He said wealthy outside farmers have threatened residents with firearms when they try to enter fenced areas, and that some have drilled unauthorised boreholes while denying the community access to water infrastructure.
The petition further accuses Arnold of failing to convene community meetings for nearly 11 years, forcing residents to travel almost 200km to chief Tsamkxao Oma's traditional authority to obtain basic documents including school recommendation letters and burial authorisations. Arnold did not respond to questions sent by The Namibian before publication.
The petitioners want the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development to initiate proceedings to remove Arnold and her councillors, and the Communal Land Board to dismantle illegal fences and prosecute repeat offenders. They cite the High Court's judgment of 18 August 2016 in the Na Jaqna Conservancy Committee case on illegal fencing and occupation of communal land, and say they will approach the Legal Assistance Centre to pursue further High Court action if the government does not intervene.
Minister of Urban and Rural Development James Sankwasa told the Council of Traditional Leaders at Otjiwarongo last month that the ministry does not directly designate or remove chiefs, adding that it is the community's responsibility.