Kept continuously alight, the holy fire represents the ancestors of the villagers, who acts as intermediaries to the Himba's god, Mukuru.

CNN: The Himba: Namibia's iconic red women

The Mukuru petition, if it succeeds, could make a huge difference.

ECONOMIST: Deciding who owns shantytowns would help their residents

The petitioners argue that in Mukuru both laws were ignored.

ECONOMIST: Deciding who owns shantytowns would help their residents