Annakleta Haikera
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) says it does not compensate victims of crocodile attacks, but instead provides an offset amount to affected families.
This comes as Annastasia Nyiru (24) from Kamutjonga village in the Mukwe Constituency says she has yet to receive any payment after a crocodile attack claimed the life of her baby last year.
Nyiru’s 9-month-old son, Batholomeus Kambongo, was snatched by a crocodile on 29 September 2025 while Nyiru was doing laundry along the banks of the Kavango River. During the same incident, she was also attacked, sustaining injuries to her thigh and buttocks.
Speaking to The Villager, Nyiru said DNA samples were taken after one crocodile was shot and killed, and small bones believed to be those of Kambongo were discovered. Nyiru said all required documents had been submitted to the Ministry for her claim to be attended to.
Nyiru described the incident as horrific and said her family is still struggling to come to terms with the loss of her child. She further alleged that other affected families had already received payouts, while hers was yet to receive said payout.
However, Ministry spokesperson Vilho Hangula said the delay is due to missing documentation and verification processes. Hangula confirmed the case was reviewed, but sent back to the regional office to verify outstanding documents. Once finalised, he said, the case will be tabled before a monthly committee which assesses and approves payments.
He added that payouts do not take long after approval.
Under Ministry policy, injury claims range from N$10,000 to N$50,000, depending on the severity and investigation findings, while N$100,000 is paid in fatal cases as an offset amount, not compensation.
Hangula also noted that forensic and police processes, which are outside the Ministry’s control, may contribute to delays, urging the community to remain patient.
Crocodile attacks have increased along the Kavango River in the Mukwe Constituency, with several people attacked while performing daily activities such as washing clothes, fetching water, or bathing near the river banks.
Among the victims last year were 72-year-old Patrick Mayira Nore, 9-month-old Batholomeus Kambongo, 9-year-old Munika Justina Dishaka, and 47-year-old Ottilia Mbathera, who were all attacked while carrying out daily activities at the river.
Just last month, Karen Muduva (69), a pensioner from Mbapuka village in the Mukwe Constituency, survived a crocodile attack, but lost his left arm after amputation due to severe injuries.
Following the fatal attack on Mbathera at Thipanana village, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform moved to drill a borehole at the village to provide residents with a safer water source and reduce reliance on the crocodile-infested Kavango River.
Residents have long argued that limited access to safe water sources forces communities to use the river for washing, bathing, and collecting water, exposing them to deadly crocodile encounters.
Meanwhile, last year in November, Agriculture Minister Ingenesia Zaamwani-Kamwi said 75 boreholes had been activated nationwide to improve rural water access.
She made the remarks during the inauguration of the Ohangwena II Wellfield Water Supply Scheme, noting that the initiative aims to strengthen water security and reduce communities’ dependence on unsafe river sources.
