Herero people
Epukiro is inhabited by Tswana, Ovambanderu, and San people. Ovambanderu and Herero people share the same ancestry. Herero see the Mbanderu as one of their clans while Mbanderu regard themselves as a distinct group. This difference is the cause of a decades–old rift between the two, with one faction, the "Ovambanderu Council of Epukiro and Aminuis" seeking recognition of the Mbanderu as a distinct tribe. The other faction aims for a strong and united Herero people under the "Tjamuaha-Maharero Royal House" and accuses the Mbanderu of artificial division.