Muroro, Kavango East 18 October – Residents of Muroro earlier today handed in a petition to Hon. Damian Maghambayi, chair person of Kavango Regional Council. Residents who are in favour of the Shipapo Irrigation Project were led by the Secretary Sylvester Mashika who said “people where threatened by a few individuals not to demonstrate.”
He further alleged that people had been frightened by the ‘illegal removal’ of their community headman Sirongo Nankema yesterday by two people who came with Namibian police. The duo who removed the head man claimed that they had been sent by the Sambyu Royal Palace and Chief Traditional Authority to come remove the headman Sirongo, who is a supporter of the project of Shipapo irrigation.
In the pictures is Muroro Secretary of VDC handing over the letter of Shipapo Wambambangandu irrigation to Kavango East Regional Council Management Chairperson Damian Maghambayi.
“The ungazzetted chief council with their own agenda falsely replaced our headman with an acting headman. Our headman Sirongo is going through a lot of humiliation and he is not part of Shipapo Wambambangandu investment.”
“We are really impressed, happy and satisfied with the arrival of Shipapo in our community, we have a lot of big projects here at Muroro which have totally contributed nothing to our community, while Shipapo have already shown their commitment to give us electricity and extending our school with extra four classrooms.”
The community also condemned and accused two Ungazzetted Chief councils as causing harm to community of Sambyu by harrassing and threatening people of Muroro to fight the Project.
A Member of Muroro Village Development Committee, Poulus Maseka registered his disappointment that Namibian police could not come after being invited.
“When the concerned group held their demonstration two Namibian police vehicle escorted them but for us the VDC they are not here, and what if we meet with with those concerned group as we saw them gathering too,” said Maseka
By Annakleta Haikera
