By Elezo Libanda
Katima Mulilo, 13th July – The persistent demand to remove the redline, also known as the veterinary cordon fence, has been echoing for several decades now. In 2018, President Hage Geingob called for serious deliberations on the matter, joining the voices that have advocated for the removal of the cordon fence.
However, despite these calls, the removal of the cordon fence is still a distant prospect. Some farmers, especially in the South, continue to express concerns about collapsing meat prices and exclusion from international markets if the redline is eliminated. Nevertheless, the nation firmly believes that the redline must be removed as it unfairly excludes northern farmers from lucrative markets. There are those who assert that the cordon fence was an apartheid policy designed to benefit the southern elites.
The fears of southern farmers regarding competition with their northern counterparts causing price collapses are unwarranted. The demand for meat continues to increase, particularly in Asian markets. Locally, businesses beyond the redline have suffered immensely as they are unable to transport meat across it. Consequently, residents are forced to purchase expensive meat in Windhoek or other southern areas, despite the presence of local cattle. A communal farmer from the Zambezi Region lamented, “It’s an apartheid law that needs to be done away with.” He threatened to seek alternative means of supplying meat to the city as he can no longer bear the situation. In the past, significant quantities of meat were confiscated or destroyed at Mururani and Oshibelo checkpoints.
Without political intervention, northern farmers will continue to endure losses and miss out on potential markets due to their exclusion. The ongoing hope for many Namibians lies in the case filed by Job Amupanda, leader of the Affirmative Repositioning movement, who is suing the government for the removal of the redline. Several southern farmers have also joined the case to defend the existence of the redline.- Namibia Daily News
