Minister Urges Landowners to Come Forth with Offers

Namibians who own large tracts of land, including absentee landlords, have been urged to come forward and make genuine offers to the government for acquisition. The call to action is aimed at accelerating land reform and providing land to landless communities, generational farmworkers, and farmers in overcrowded communal areas.



The appeal was made by Minister of Agriculture and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani during the handover ceremony of Farm Alpha and Units C and D of Farm Fiesta in the Omaheke Region. While the event marked the formal transfer of these farms to local beneficiaries, the Minister used the occasion to focus on the broader national challenge of land redistribution and the urgent need for productive farmland to be made available for acquisition by the government.



Land leads to opportunities

Productive farmland, Zaamwani said, is central to creating opportunities, relieving grazing pressure, and supporting sustainable livelihoods. Some commercial farms remain idle or underutilized, preventing Namibians from benefiting from the country’s agricultural resources. By acquiring these lands, the government seeks to make them accessible to those who need them most.



The appeal forms part of a broader national land reform strategy, anchored in the resolutions of the Second National Land Conference, the SWAPO Party Manifesto, and NDP6. These frameworks aim to address historical inequities in land ownership and provide secure tenure for people dependent on communal or corridor farming. The Minister emphasized that land reform is a Namibian agenda, and its success depends on the active participation of both landowners and beneficiaries.



Zaamwani stressed that land reform is not just about redistributing ownership but also ensuring productive and sustainable use of the land. Communities are expected to manage land responsibly, respecting carrying capacities and avoiding overstocking to maintain long-term agricultural viability. She further cautioned against favoritism in communal land allocation, urging traditional authorities to ensure that all community members benefit equitably.



Need for land is great

The need for land remains urgent across Namibia. Generational farmworkers, landless farmers, and communities in areas such as Dordabis, Kamanjab, and the northern corridors continue to face shortages and insecure tenure. The government is also working to expand communal areas, including the /Khomanin area in Khomas, and to address the plight of farmers using grazing in neighboring countries.



Omaheke Governor Pijoo Nganate, speaking at the same ceremony, highlighted the pressures faced by communities in the region, including land congestion, limited grazing, and declining household incomes. He praised the government’s continued engagement with the region and the coordination with traditional authorities, emphasizing that these partnerships are essential to ensure that land reform is implemented fairly and sustainably.



Nganate also stressed the importance of responsible land management and cooperative engagement. His speech underlined that successful land reform depends on collaboration between government, communities, and traditional authorities to avoid conflicts, misuse, or unsustainable practices.



Ongoing challenges include idle commercial farms, absentee landowners, and a shortage of productive land for redistribution. By appealing directly to landowners to make their land available, the government seeks to address these challenges and provide a clear mechanism to accelerate equitable land access.



Land reform a national responsibility

Both officials emphasized that land reform is a national responsibility, requiring participation from landowners, traditional authorities, communities, and government bodies to ensure that redistribution is fair, inclusive, and aligned with broader development goals. By transforming underutilized farms into productive land, the initiative supports food production, rural economic growth, and sustainable livelihoods.



“A peaceful land reform program promotes peace, local and national economic development, it enhances reconciliation and peaceful co-existence of people of diversity, it promotes Namibia as a model and a pacesetter/trendsetter and a beacon of peaceful land reform in the continent,” said Zaamwani.