Commander Shilelo urges farmers to stop hiring Zambians

By Mashete Lumamezi

Zambezi Police Regional Commander Andreas Shilelo has urged all livestock farmers in the region to stop hiring Zambian nationals as cattle herders, due to the alarmingly high reports of stock theft against them.

Commissioner Shilelo told Caprivi Vision that it is high time for now that the livestock farmers should put aside notion of taking advantage of “cheap labour” saying that this always put them in danger because in most cases all theft of their farm animals has been linked to cattle herders who hails from Zambia in Imusho and Sinjembela where all foot prints are being tracked crossing the border line.

He said the Sibbinda Constituency is at high risk of stock theft, and the Namibian Police, in this festive season, have deployed personnel along the Liselo-Kamenga borderline to crack down on criminals who steal cattle.

“So now the livestock farmers want security forces to cover the whole border line, which means this is not going to be possible in terms of resources, and now we have deployed three ambushes and one team conducting foot patrol in the area,” said Commander Shilelo

He added that so far, they have intercepted three Zambian nationals with their armed guns on December 13, and two ran away. The police managed to arrest one, a 42-year-old Zambian male with a short gun and commercial ammunition.

“These people are just coming from Sinjembela in Zambia to come and steal cattle,” he stressed

According to him, one police vehicle was dispatched to transport the affected livestock owners from Zambia, whose cattle had been stolen, and to provide assistance to them through the Zambia Police Service.  

He pointed out that it is very difficult to know and identify the culprit at the cattle post since they have established connections with their Zambian friends, those former cattle herders who turned into armed cattle thieves.  

“We encourage farmers to employ Namibians instead of foreigners who come illegally and get employed to look after cattle,” he explained.

He said he has been in contact with the Zambian counterparts, as the Namibian police have commissioned one vehicle with police personnel to recover stolen cattle in the Sinjembela area. “It is very painful for those who have lost their cattle; we want to advice the farmers to employ Namibians rather than “cheap labour” for the safety of the cattle and the people.”

Commander Shilelo further divulged that “we have a very good cooperation between the Liselo – Kamenga Anti-Stock Theft Association.”

However, a concerned part-time livestock farmer at Makanga, Mr. Khanyile Mukena, expressed his views and commended the Namibian police for safety and security across the border line, and he opined that “ border patrolling will not solve our problem. It failed in Mexico and USA border. It also failed in Rwanda and DRC, failed in Zimbabwe and RSA, and is failing in our situation.” 

He welcomed the initiative of the border patrol, but he said the cattle rustlers are also at their cattle posts.

“This is not to say the Namibian Police shouldn’t patrol the border. They should do so because I understand there is a Border Control Unit within the Namibian Police,”  said Mr Mukena.

Another farmer, Mr Harris Mpangala from Makanga, also shared his experience as the victim of cattle that were stolen from his kraal this year, stressed that “In my case, the whole cost was on my shoulders.  Petrol, Food for trackers and soldiers. Payment for Zambian trackers as well. Also, food for the suspects who were arrested in Zambia was on my shoulders. 

At the Imusho border, there are no holding cells. Zambian police asked the police from Kongola to help them to keep those suspects, as they never had holding cells. They were just helped once. The next day, they said they cannot keep them any longer because they have no food for them. At the same time, there will be no one to account for if they were to die in those holding cells. They were taken back to the Imusho border to reside with police officers in their own houses. Yet the crime they committed was conducted in Namibia. 

I was given the condition by the Zambian police, as they never had food to feed the suspects. From Sunday, 31 August to 05 September 2025. I was feeding those suspects. I drove every day from my work station to give food to those two suspects. I could understand because all I wanted was just to be done with my side.   

For me, I went through a lot. It’s not easy to see another person going through the same pain,” Mr Mpangala further explained.

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