Veld fires causing serious harm

Ndalimpinga Iita

When a veld fire ravaged the Shakambu area in Mashare Constituency in Kavango East region, northern Namibia, local farmer Tjikomo Nakumbwata lost his goats, with other livestock still untraceable.

"It hurts and I feel bad for losing so much after all the hard work and investment in the farm," he said on Wednesday.

Nakumbwata is one of the farmers faced with the challenge of veld fires ravaging and swiftly damaging their properties. "The fire destroyed what I built over so many years in a few seconds and hours," Nakumbata said.

Fritz Kaufman, a farmer in Okurukambe Constituency in the northern Omahake region, also lost 80 percent of his farm content.

The damage resulting from the veld fires have since destabilised his farm operations on many fronts. Moreover, prevalent veld fires in Namibia are stifling local farmers' efforts, enduring significant losses.

Official data shows between January and October this year, veld fires had destroyed 2.1 million hectares of land in Namibia.

Josef Hailwa, an official from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, said that veld fires are prevalent due to mass volume of biomass present following good rains received earlier in the year.

"The causes of fires vary. The fires are caused by lightning, human actions and negligence. Some people are also not adhering to the regulations," Hailwa said.

Jason Emvula, President of Namibia National Farmers' Union, said that the veld fires had affected many farmers across the country.

Meanwhile, as part of efforts to prevent as well as reduce damage to properties, the union is planning to roll-out preventative mechanisms in veld fire-prone areas which include organising training of fire marshals in communities. - Nampa/Xinhua