Zaamwani appeals for peace as Land Bill is tabled
Agriculture minister Inge Zaamwani has appealed for peace, unity and non-partisanship as she tabled the long-awaited Land Bill in the National Assembly on Tuesday this week.
Zaamwani told lawmakers that the land question remains one of Namibia’s most emotive issues, rooted in the history of dispossession under colonialism, and must be handled with care.
“Our collective wisdom and non-partisan approach is required to ensure that the final provisions respond to the aspirations of the majority of the Namibian people and lay a solid foundation for productive land reform and national cohesion,” she said.
The minister reminded Parliament that Namibia’s struggle for independence was inextricably linked to the struggle to reclaim land.
“Dispossession was not only a matter of physical displacement, but also a loss of cultural heritage, economic autonomy and social cohesion.
"The legacy of these historical injustices continues to impact our society today,” she said.
Zaamwani urged MPs to debate the Bill in a spirit of unity, noting that the 2018 Second National Land Conference demonstrated how stakeholders could come together “with one voice, a voice that called for peaceful, pragmatic, and people-centred land reform.”
The new Bill consolidates the Agricultural (Commercial) Land Reform Act of 1995 and the Communal Land Reform Act of 2002, along with related laws, into a single framework.
It introduces new provisions, including a centralised Land Tribunal to resolve disputes, the establishment of a Communal Land Development Fund, and a ban on foreign nationals acquiring communal or commercial farmland.
It also grants the minister sweeping powers to expropriate land in the public interest, subject to just compensation, while embedding stronger safeguards such as defined inspection rules, dispute mechanisms, and limits on compensation.
Zaamwani stressed that the Bill is not merely a policy proposal, but a strategic framework meant to restore dignity, promote equity and accelerate resettlement. “Land is not merely soil beneath our feet. It is the cradle of our dignity, the source of our sustenance, and the foundation of our freedom,” she told Parliament.
Zaamwani told lawmakers that the land question remains one of Namibia’s most emotive issues, rooted in the history of dispossession under colonialism, and must be handled with care.
“Our collective wisdom and non-partisan approach is required to ensure that the final provisions respond to the aspirations of the majority of the Namibian people and lay a solid foundation for productive land reform and national cohesion,” she said.
The minister reminded Parliament that Namibia’s struggle for independence was inextricably linked to the struggle to reclaim land.
“Dispossession was not only a matter of physical displacement, but also a loss of cultural heritage, economic autonomy and social cohesion.
"The legacy of these historical injustices continues to impact our society today,” she said.
Zaamwani urged MPs to debate the Bill in a spirit of unity, noting that the 2018 Second National Land Conference demonstrated how stakeholders could come together “with one voice, a voice that called for peaceful, pragmatic, and people-centred land reform.”
The new Bill consolidates the Agricultural (Commercial) Land Reform Act of 1995 and the Communal Land Reform Act of 2002, along with related laws, into a single framework.
It introduces new provisions, including a centralised Land Tribunal to resolve disputes, the establishment of a Communal Land Development Fund, and a ban on foreign nationals acquiring communal or commercial farmland.
It also grants the minister sweeping powers to expropriate land in the public interest, subject to just compensation, while embedding stronger safeguards such as defined inspection rules, dispute mechanisms, and limits on compensation.
Zaamwani stressed that the Bill is not merely a policy proposal, but a strategic framework meant to restore dignity, promote equity and accelerate resettlement. “Land is not merely soil beneath our feet. It is the cradle of our dignity, the source of our sustenance, and the foundation of our freedom,” she told Parliament.
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