By: Annakleta Haikera
In response to various crocodile attack victims’ families, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) said it does not provide compensation, but offers once-off payments to families affected by wildlife-related injuries, damage, or death.
This is only done after investigations are completed and required documents, such as death certificates, are submitted.
The Ministry was responding to calls from Kamutjonga Village, where residents accuse the Ministry of failing to protect the community following a series of fatal crocodile attacks that claimed the lives of two children and left families without closure in Mukwe Constituency, Kavango East Region.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry, spokesperson Ndeshipanda Hamunyela acknowledged the fears and trauma gripping the community and expressed sympathy to the grieving families.
Hamunyela emphasised that the circumstances surrounding each attack are evaluated carefully, especially given that communities are regularly warned about unsafe practices near rivers.
She further confirmed that MEFT, working with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform, captured and put down several crocodiles believed to be involved in the attacks.
“So far, four crocodiles have been put down as part of the ministry’s lethal-removal strategy under national policy,” Hamunyela added.
Hamunyela shared that the ministry has rolled out several mitigation measures.
These include ensuring the village borehole operates all day to reduce reliance on the river, drilling a second borehole at Muitjiku, constructing crocodile enclosures near Popa Falls and Muitjiku, encouraging the traditional use of thorn-bush barriers at river bays, and conducting ongoing awareness campaigns on high-risk river areas.
Despite MEFT’s explanation, residents of Kamutjonga remain dissatisfied with the ministry’s methods of attending to the community’s needs.
During a peaceful demonstration held early this month, the community accused the ministry of acting too slowly and offering little practical support to families affected by the recent attacks.
Two families, still awaiting DNA results and searching for closure, described the attacks as unbearable tragedies.
“My niece was a bright nine-year-old who was killed while fetching water with her mother on 25 October. We still have no body to bury, only memories,” said Frans Shikusho.
Another resident, Anastasia Nyiru, recalled the traumatic moment she lost her nine-month-old baby during a crocodile attack on 29 September, also suffering injuries while attempting to rescue her child.
“These are nightmares we will never forget,” she said.
Residents say that over the past two months, the river has become a danger zone, with two minors killed and several other attacks reported.
They insist MEFT increases protection measures and provides meaningful assistance as families await answers.
On 4 November 2025, a 71-year-old man survived a crocodile attack near the area where a 9-year-old girl was attacked on an earlier occasion. He was rushed to the Rundu Intermediate Hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment.
Family members of the 9-month-old and 9-year-old victims were asked to identify the children through clothing found inside a crocodile the ministry had put down, as no full remains were recovered.
Bones retrieved from the animal have been collected and will be sent for DNA testing to confirm the identities of the two minors.
