By Marx Itamalo /
There appears to be no end in sight to the smuggling of Angolan oil at the border town of Oshikango and surrounding villages.
This week Omutumwa visited the border town and observed droves of people, mainly the youth carrying 5 litre containers filled with petrol from Angola, which they sell to Namibian motorists who flock to the town to fill up their vehicles.
The illegal sale of Angolan fuel, known locally as ‘ngungula,’ is not coming to an end despite the efforts by law enforcement officers of both countries, especially of Namibia who considers these ‘ngungula fuel stations’ to be a threat to the Namibian economy.
Many of the fuel vendors are Angolan nationals whilst a few are Namibian citizens.
They fill up their containers at Angolan filling stations and they then smuggle the oil through the porous border passing through ungazetted entry points.
Although there are police officers at these entry points on both sides, the vendors pass unperturbed as they simply pay bribes to the officers to let them pass. Many of these Namibian police officers have been working at the border town and are used to receiving bribes.
The selling of the smuggled fuel has led to the closure of two filling stations in the Helao Nafidi town, leading to the loss of many jobs. The trade still threatens the closure of other filling stations in the town, with owners complaining of a lack of customers and business.
Motorists have been complaining of the price of fuel at Namibian fuel stations saying it is expensive and unaffordable. They claim that it is this high petrol and diesel prices which drives them to buy illegal fuel.
Currently, a litre of petrol costs N$20.67 and diesel costs N$20.72 at a Namibian filling station.
A 5 litre container of petrol costs around N$105 in Namibia whilst a similar container with Angolan petrol is sold to motorists for between N$50 and N$60. The price is typically depended on the situation along the border.
“When there is a heavy presence of the police at the border, the fuel becomes scarce and the price goes up, but when there is no police presence the vendors are many and you can even buy a container for N$45,” Johannes Wapota, a fuel trader told Omutumwa while waving to a prospective customer, indicating the direction of his containers.
He has been selling the oil since 2020.
“It will be totally difficult if not entirely impossible to stop this trade because, firstly the trade is benefiting a lot of people, and secondly police officers are also involved,” one motorist told Omutumwa.
This motorist, who only identified himself as Likius, said he drives once each week from Omuthiya, about 140 km away in Oshikoto to fill up his car at the town.
In the photo: Motorists filling up at a ngungula fuel station.
