Katima mulilo: Chief Boniface Lutibezi Shufu of the Mayeyi Traditional Authority has raised concern that the designation of over 40 per cent of communal land for biodiversity protection has inadvertently marginalised a substantial portion of his community.

According to Namibia Press Agency, speaking on Sunday at the Annual Batsara Cultural Festival, where Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare was the guest of honour, Shufu explained that most of his communities reside within conservancies and adjacent to national parks like Mudumu and Nkasa-Rupara. This has led to problems like crop destruction, livestock predation, limited access to traditional resources, and exposure to health risks, he said.

'The biggest challenge my community faces is human-wildlife conflict,' Shufu's speech, read by Dr Belden Liswaniso, emphasised. He underscored the urgent need for legal and policy reforms to protect and empower these communities, ensuring their inclusion in national development and conservation benefits.

Shufu further highlighted the interconnectedness of culture and natural resources to his community's well-being and identity and urged the government to implement effective strategies for their benefit. He also lamented that despite their close proximity to rich biodiversity, his community is legally restricted from utilising key resources within the parks. These essential resources include grazing land for livestock, thatch grass, timber for housing, fishing, and traditional plant medicines. He called for urgent reforms in sectors that would directly benefit the communities.

Ngurare acknowledged the chief's concerns and said the government is committed to assisting all Namibians in alignment with the development agenda outlined in the Swapo Party Election Manifesto and the sixth National Development Plan. This year's cultural festival was celebrated under the theme 'Promoting Culture for Natural Resource Benefits.'