'Preventable' Etosha fire leaves

A blaze that burnt nearly 40% of Namibia's flagship national park has left rural families without an income

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An elephant that appears to have suffered severe burn wounds walking near the Chris Marais Dam at Etosha National Park on 28 September. A government ministry claimed the photograph was faked, but Daily Maverick has verified its authenticity.

(Photo: Koos Reyneke)

Selling traditional crafts provides an income for many Namibians. Bowls, wooden carvings and other trinkets laid out on blankets are common in tourist hotspots, but Rosa Kino Kampyaku hasn't sold anything for two weeks.

It’s the sole source of income for her and the other 10 or so Herero and Himba women sitting outside the Ombika gate to Namibia's Etosha National Park.

A fire started on about 22 September and burnt through the park and surrounding areas before finally being brought under control seven days later. It burnt about 854,000ha of the park and another 170,000ha of the surrounding area. That’s the equivalent of 145 farms.

Worse yet, it’s peak tourism season in Namibia, and Rosa’s group is running low on food. The fire that ravaged 38% of the park has scared off many of the tourists who would be flooding their informal market any other year.

“We are hungry, we don’t even have money now to buy food for the kids,” Rosa translated for one of the mothers sitting at the market, who didn’t want to give her name.