A fire that broke out at the Omutambo Womawe state quarantine camp in Uutsathima village, Omusati Region, has been successfully contained. The blaze, which erupted on the 21,000-hectare government-owned property, caused extensive damage to grazing land before it was brought under control in the early morning hours.

Deputy Prime Minister Natangue Ithete, who joined the firefighting efforts, expressed concern over the camp’s vulnerability due to its close proximity to Etosha National Park. He also criticized the lack of cutlines, which he said allowed the fire to spread rapidly.

“The damage is very severe because it's a lot of grass that has been burnt,” said Ithete. “We all know Namibia has had a lack of rain, and with this grass that has generated seeds... it's a number of seeds that were to be blown by the wind and grow somewhere else. Now with that, it is a huge loss to a dry country, and we have to do much better.”

He questioned the delay in implementing fire prevention measures. “I don't know what the delay was. I know there was a plan for the cutoff, and I don't want to accuse the technocrats, but the decision is already taken, and it is their decision to implement the decision of the cutoff. It's really disappointing, to be honest.”

Ithete confirmed that no human or livestock lives were lost in the incident.

Local businessman David David assisted in the efforts by dispatching tractors to dig emergency cutlines. “I could not sit back and watch the fire cause more destruction,” he said, adding that he plans to engage the government on how such interventions can be formalized in future.