Africa-Press – Namibia. Despite government efforts to implement land reform since independence, many generational farm dwellers and workers in Omaheke region, continue to face limited access to land.
This was alluded to by people farming on the townlands of Gobabis, when they handed over a petition to Omaheke governor Pijoo Nganate recently.
The landless farmers, mainly from the Damara, Nama and San communities, cited an unfair selection process, insecure tenure arrangements, and delays in land redistribution.
Lesley Pienaar, who spoke on behalf of the disgruntled group, said farmers in the region operate under insecure tenure without documentation or legal protection because land allocation is not formalised.
He said unformalised areas include Tsjaka Ben Hur, Skoonheid, Du Plessis, Witvlei, Omitara, and the overcrowded Blouberg, Vergenoeg and Aminuis.
“Others have been on the waiting list for resettlement farms for many years without updates, especially those at farm Kaukoros. These unresolved land issues are undermining economic growth, food security, and rural stability,” said Pienaar.
Another key concern highlighted in the petition is that many capable and landless farmers are still without access to productive land, while vast tracts remain underutilised.
Pienaar said the process of allocating resettlement farms is not transparent, and many farmers feel left out or overlooked.
The farmers thus called for acceleration of the land reform process and prioritisation of land allocation to experienced, landless farmers and youth in the region. They also requested transparency and fairness in the resettlement process, including regular public updates and community consultations.
“Community consultations on resettlement are absent in the region,” read the petition.
The group also cited a lack of government support after farmers are resettled.
“There should be post-settlement support for the resettled farmers, including access to regular public updates and community consultations,” they demanded.
Following the invasion of farm Witsand by some farmers in April last year, for which they were prosecuted, the landless farmers are requesting the matter to be settled out of court.
“This must also be applied to the farm Ozombahe issue,” said Pienaar.
Farm Witsand is a government farm earmarked for resettling Namibians living in Botswana who return to their motherland.
The group also said they are committed to working towards an equitable and productive land system that empowers all Namibian farmers and ensures sustainable development for generations to come.
Upon receiving the petition, Nganate said his office does not resettle people, as the responsibility lies with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform.
Nganate promised to forward the petition to the relevant authorities.
The governor, who is chairperson of the resettlement committee, however told New Era he had requested various constituency councillors to submit names of farmers in need of land and their livestock numbers. “Some did, and some didn’t,” he said.
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