Allexer Namundjembo
Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament Michael Mulunga has denied allegations that he illegally acquired and fenced communal land in the !Kharoxas area.
!Kharoxas is seven kilometres south of Groot Aub.
Mulunga said he followed all required procedures and only occupies a two-hectare plot.
Mulunga was responding to questions from the Windhoek Observer on Wednesday after the Land Access Movement of Namibia, representing the |Khomanin community, claimed that he had fenced off five hectares of land linked to the |Khomani community.
He rejected the claims and said the land in question is a two-hectare plot allocated to him by the ||Khomani Traditional Authority.
“I have applied and complied with all the relevant requirements,” Mulunga said, adding that documents supporting his application are held by the traditional authority.
He said any concerns about the legality of land allocations should be handled by the relevant authorities and maintained that he followed all required processes before settling on the land.
Mulunga also denied any involvement with Walter |Haseb in relation to land allocation.
He said he settled in Nauspoort in 2017 and had no dealings with |Haseb on land matters.
He said he has not been formally informed of any investigation by his party but will follow due process if one is initiated.
Mulunga said he acquired the land in 2017 before joining the IPC or becoming a member of parliament.
“At the time, I applied in my personal capacity as a young Namibian with plans to establish a poultry enterprise,” he said.
Mulunga rejected claims that he occupies five hectares and said his allocation was lawful.
“Just because I am Omuwambo does not mean I cannot be allocated land by the ||Khomani Traditional Authority. Let us advocate for the ||Khomani people, but not promote tribalism,” he said.
The Landless ||Khomani Land Access Movement of Namibia this week wrote a letter to IPC leader Panduleni Itula, questioning the matter.
The group questioned how Mulunga qualified for communal land and whether he had permission to fence and build on the land.
“Can the member in question also confirm whether he has authorisation to erect fences and how and where he obtained such authorisation? We also probe why he is building multiple permanent structures and why he has five hectares at his personal disposal on communal land,” the letter reads.
The group also raised allegations against |Haseb, an IPC member and traditional authority headman, accusing him of illegally selling communal land in the !Kharoxas and Nauspoort areas.
The movement questioned whether Mulunga had acted against what it described as illegal fencing and asked whether the party supports such actions.
The issue forms part of wider tensions in the ||Khomani community over land allocation.
Its chief Julianne Gawanas is facing a no-confidence process linked to land disputes.
Social activist Shaun Gariseb said more than 750 community members supported a resolution adopted on 31 January, with formal proceedings expected to begin on 13 April.
Gariseb also raised concerns about land ownership in !Kharoxas.
“About 65% of people living at !Kharoxas are not ||Khomani The biggest challenge is the lack of clear communication from the chief to locals on how land is allocated,” he said.
He said access to water remains limited, with only one water point serving the area and questioned how land is allocated.
