Helao Nafidi
| Helao Nafidi | |
|---|---|
| town | |
 Helao Nafidi
|
|
| Coordinates: 17°24′S 15°53′E / 17.400°S 15.883°E | |
| Country |
 Namibia
|
| Region | Ohangwena Region |
| proclaimed | 2004 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Paulus Haikali |
| • CEO | Inge Ipinge |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 19,375 |
| Time zone | South African Standard Time (UTC+1) |
| Climate | Cwa |
| Website | www.helao-nafidi.com |
Helao Nafidi is a town in Ohangwena Region in northern Namibia at the border to Angola. It has been established in 2004 as an amalgamation of several villages and settlements along the main road between Oshikango and Ohangwena which are both also part of the town. Helao Nafidi has 19,375 inhabitants. The town is separated into three urban areas, Oshikango in the north, bisected by the Namibian–Angolan border, and Omafo and Ohangwena south of it, with settlements and villages in the agricultural area between them.
All villages that have been combined to form the town (Onhuno, Ohangwena, Omafo, Engela and Oshikango) still maintain their own village councils.
The area that today is the town of Helao Nafidi was heavily affected by the South African Border War 1966 to 1989 between South Africa and its allied forces (mainly UNITA) and the Angolan government and South-West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO). The border post at Oshikango, one of the oldest between Namibia and Angola, had been near destroyed in the guerrilla war, and the settlement appeared dilapidated until the mid-1990s. After Namibian independence several settlements were proclaimed villages in 1996 in order to increase border trade.
The border post at Oshikango is currently[update] the busiest Namibian border post with on average 500 people crossing per day. This has brought business opportunities to the surrounding area. With the help of the European Union an Export Processing Zone was established there, consisting of 14 warehouses. Omafo, another suburb of Helao Nafidi, hosts an annual trade show.
The parallel prevalence of land owned by the villages, the town, and land under traditional jurisdiction has led to uncertainties about ownership that had to be settled in court. The case of Helao Nafidi, where traditional authorities and the town and village councils frequently disagree on what is in their respective jurisdiction, can be seen as an example of the clash between tradition and modernity in Namibian law.
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Wikipedia