Community members of Omatako in Tsumkwe West have petitioned for the removal of the councillors of the !Kung Traditional Authority, citing years of alleged maladministration and suffering.

In a petition, the resident accused the traditional authority of allegedly selling communal land for personal gain.

Residents say wealthy individuals from outside the Tsumkwe constituency have come in numbers and continue to acquire and fence off communal land despite a 2016 High Court ruling ordering the removal of illegal fencing and eviction of illegal settlers in the area.

Omatako resident, Nandu Dumba, expressed his frustration.

"We are just speaking the truth. They only removed the fences that are visible to passing vehicles, while the rest remain. The fencing across the area is still the same."

Another resident, Mishe Aromo, says the fencing restricts access to veld food and firewood in areas within the Nǂa jaqna Conservancy, with residents allegedly facing threats when trying to access these resources.

"We don't even know where to fetch firewood anymore. Two children entered a fenced-off area to collect firewood, but people came and threatened them. They almost beat them, but the children managed to run away. I was also collecting firewood. A man confronted me and told me to warn the children not to enter his area, saying he had paid a lot of money for that land." 

Chief Arnold of the !Kung Traditional Authority delegated a Senior Traditional Councillor, Auho Ngavetene to respond to NBC.

Ngavetene denied the allegations around the illegal selling of communal land.

"As a councillor from this office, I have never seen anyone selling land. We were trained and told that the land belongs to the state and that we are only custodians of it on behalf of the community and future generations. So, I don't know about the selling part. Whoever is selling land knows why they are doing so, but I have never seen anyone." 

On the alleged illegal fencing, Ngavetene said some people who allocated small portions of land have extended their boundaries without approval. 

The petitioners are calling on government institutions to urgently conduct a joint investigative field visit to the affected villages. 

NBC News reached out to the deputy minister in the office of the Vice President, Moses ||Khumub, who in turn said his office is yet to receive the petition.