Damning Namibian report accuse BDF of aggression
A report by the National Council standing committee on Home Affairs, Security, Constitutional and Legal Affairs has described actions by the Botswana Defence Force along the Chobe/Kwando and Linyanti River in the Zambezi Region as inhumane.
The 27-page report prepared by a committee chaired by Kabbe South Constituency Member of Parliament John Musialela Likando has found among others that local communities residing alongside the Chobe,Linyanti and Kwando River have lost sense of national security due to harassment from the BDF.
The damning report states that a total of 23 public hearings were conducted and up to 32 written submissions analysed.
“It was discovered that the communities live in fear of BDF, due to its constant presence along the river.”
“They’ve lost a sense of national security due to constant run in and intimidation from BDF,” reads the report.
It further states the livelihoods on Namibians along living along the river have been largely affected, with significant reduction in fishing and animal grazing activities along the river.
The committee further states that they discovered that the local communities are not aware of the Boundary Treaty of 2018, despite the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation noting that all four Traditional Authorities in the Zambezi Region were consulted.
“The committee has however been notified that there’re still a number of bilateral discussions going on between the two countries with the aim to resolve key issues of concern raised and experienced, most specifically, occupation and equal access to natural resources to Islands and the ongoing BDF aggression.”
One key finding by the committee is that there are only two beacons visible alongside Kwando River, whilst they’re non existent in Chobe and Linyanti River where communities frequent.
The report state the absence of this vital demarcation of borders is one of the key contributing factors exposing the local communities to undue BDF aggression in the affected areas.
“Members of the community don’t know at which point they cross into Botswana side of the river when fishing, or at which area they can graze their livestock or cut reeds.’
The committee warns that the longer Namibians are denied access to shared resources, co-existence between Batswana and Namibians maybe short lived.
“These little cases may lead fully blown-out conflicts and eventually spilling into civil wars across border conflicts.”
In a brief interview with The Voice on Wednesday afternoon, Chairperson of the Namibians Lives Matter movement Simvula Mudabeti said the report will be presented to Parliament today (Friday).
“We expect the President to act, because this can’t go on like this,” he said.