Fighting a Losing ‘Ngungula’ Battle
The ground is littered with cuca beer bottle tops and the smell of petrol hangs heavily in the air. Both are of Angolan extraction and flow freely at the Oshikango bus stop.
The ground is littered with cuca beer bottle tops and the smell of petrol hangs heavily in the air. Both are of Angolan extraction and flow freely at the Oshikango bus stop.
A visit to the Helao Nafidi town council this week left me with a realisation that the police are fighting a losing battle against ‘ngungula’: the illegal art of fuel importation through the Namibian and Angolan borders. The fuel is sold in Namibia for a fraction of the price at the official pump.
The constabulary are visible and combative, marching about with great purpose. But, apart from confiscating a few small sausages from Angola in brightly coloured plastic wrapping, they didn’t net any serious contraband.
Of that, Oshikango drips in excess.
