Govt to acquire land for Khomas Damaras

Agriculture and land reform minister Calle Schlettwein said government is well aware that most /Khomanin community members live on private commercial land where they cannot be granted land rights.

As a result, they often end up in corridors. The ministry is therefore hard at work to acquire farms for them, he said.

Schlettwein made these remarks in Parliament during discussions on land for the /Khomanin Traditional Authority.

The /Khomanin, a sub-clan of the Damara people, inhabited the central areas during the 1930s.

According to Schlettwein, land reform and resettlement remain two of the most challenging policy issues the government and, in particular, the ministry are dealing with.

“It has been and still is a centre piece of our policy framework aimed at bringing about equality and equity in socio-economic opportunities for disadvantaged Namibians.”

Multiplicity

This is because of the multiplicity of aspects, all interrelated with each other, the minister said.

This includes the need to restore dignity, a decent livelihood, the ability to live out cultural and traditional aspects in communal areas, addressing injustices committed by colonisers of the past and resultant landlessness, Schlettwein said.

“All those are primarily linked to the demand for land.”

The ability to satisfy this huge demand is not sufficient because of limited resources, he said, adding that the approach to landlessness must remain a prioritised - but phased - one.

Generational farm workers

Meanwhile, the ministry has been tasked with profiling generational farm workers.

“Generational farm workers are defined as farm workers who were born, live and work on farms for many generations. These farm workers may have no other place they call home apart from the farms on which they were born and/or worked for many generations.”

Schlettwein said the ministry has commenced with validating generational farm workers’ applications that have been received from //Karas, Erongo, Hardap, Kunene, Omaheke, Oshikoto and Otjozondjupa commercial farms.

This information will be used for decision-making to overcome challenges facing the /Khomanin community and all other communities living on private farms as generational farm workers, he said.

Schlettwein added that to enhance the ability of the /Khomanin people to practice their traditions, customs and culture, the ministry previously acquired farms and allotted them to the /Khomanin Traditional Authority.

“Recently, we acquired two farms in the Khomas Region - Portion 1 of Farm Groot Korasieplaatz No. 440 and the remainder of Farm Korasieplaatz No. 440 - with a size of 4 321 hectares and 3 811 hectares, at a purchase price of N$22.6 million and N$11.2 million respectively.

“These farms and others still to be acquired in the future are mainly for the /Khomanin Traditional Authority, in responding to the national land conference resolutions for the creation and expansion of communal areas for allocation to landless people and evicted farm workers.”

Recognition

Additionally, Schlettwein said the /Khomanin Traditional Authority was gazetted over Farm Arovley No 52, which the traditional authority has been allocating to its community, although it’s a resettlement farm.

“Since they are allocated there, they can run their affairs from that farm house.”

It is worth noting that apart from group resettlement farms, /Khomanin individuals have also been prioritised in the allocation of land on recommendation of the Khomas Regional Resettlement Committee, Schlettwein noted.

He further pointed out that Khomas is the only region in Namibia without communal land.

“The recognition of the traditional authority by government has paved the way for a structured, recognised and organised body to plan with government on the well-being of the /Khomanin traditional community.”