The community of Mpora village is up in arms after the Hamutenya family started developing a disputed piece of land at the village in Kavango West's Ncamagoro Constituency.

The community has vowed to approach the Windhoek High Court after failing to convince the Regional Land Board that the piece of land was common property.

Mateus Hamutenya was awarded the leasehold about five years ago by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, which the community is objecting to.

The dispute has been ongoing for over five years now, as the community insists that Hamutenya intends to evict them using his connections.

Last year, the Kavango West's communal Land Board determined that Hamutenya was indeed allocated a farm in Mpora in the 1970s before the community settled there.

The community appealed this finding to the Appeals Board but was unsuccessful. The Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform defended the decision to award the leasehold.

Community Spokesperson Fausitinus Mangundu stated that the community has vowed to challenge the decisions of the Regional Communal Land Board and Appeals Board in the High Court.

"Our fight is against having a farm in our village. This land is communal, and we do not want it to be turned into a private farm. While we were awaiting the court's decision on the matter, the Hamutenya family started fencing the area without permission. That is why we have decided to take action and stop them. If they want to fence, they should only fence off their own crop fields, nothing more."

Another resident, Phillipus Muronga, stated that the development is affecting over three thousand people, including approximately three hundred households.

Muronga emphasised that the villagers heavily rely on the area for various resources such as grazing land for their livestock, wild berries, herbs, thatching grass, and other forestry resources.

"We urgently appeal for support from the highest authorities. We ask for understanding and empathy for our situation. Relocating a large community like ours is a tremendous challenge. This is our home, where we have raised our children and grandchildren. We are deeply rooted here, and it is difficult to imagine being displaced. We implore the authorities to consider the impact of this development on our lives and find a solution that respects our rights and preserves our way of life."

Kavango West Community Land Board Chairperson Esther Karondo declined to comment on the ongoing dispute.

Emma Haiyambo, a member of the Hamutenya family involved in the development of the farm, stated that the community would not be subjected to eviction.

"The issue is that people have gotten used to making use of those resources because there was no fence, and they don't want to let go. Basically, that is what it is. You know, it was 10 by 10 initially. On compromising with the then Chairperson of the Land board during that time, what we agreed was, "Look, these people have stayed here for a long time. What we can do is reduce it to 5 by 5 and leave a portion. That portion is huge. We agreed, and on that basis, the measurement was done, and you know, reduce it to 5 by 5."

Haiyambo stated that the poultry project currently operating within the farm premises must be relocated or cease its operations.