Netumbo unimpressed by willing seller policy, targets absentee landlords

Following the perceived failure of the willing buyer, willing seller land reform model, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is targeting a shift in approach by intensifying focus on absentee landowners and strengthen land tax policies to accelerate redistribution and address Namibia's deep-rooted inequality.Speaking during an interview with Al Jazeera aired on Sunday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the government aims to bring at least 130,000 hectares of land into productive use over the next five years. This, she said, will be guided by the long-awaited land bill that is currently making its way to parliament.“It is true, and known by many who have followed Namibia’s history, that at the time of our independence, much of the land was in the hands of individuals. And land being part of property, and the Constitution being very clear on property, we had to develop laws, and we started with the willing buyer, willing seller model. But we realised it wasn’t working,” she said.The president pointed to the outcomes of the land conference, after which the government introduced land tax measures and targeted absentee landlords. “Some of them surrendered land, and those who were landless were settled. The government has also acquired land, and people were resettled. However, there is still a gap. Now we’ve developed programmes to implement the Constitution through expropriation,” she added.The new land bill, she said, will guide future strategies to ensure more equitable distribution. “When we talk about land in Namibia, we’re not only talking about agricultural land. We’re also talking about land in municipal areas where people need to build houses,” she said. “Of course, when it comes to agricultural land, in our election manifesto we made a commitment that in the next five years, we will make sure at least 130,000 hectares of land is added to the productive land base. Because the most important thing when we talk about land is to ensure it’s made available and at the same time, made productive.”Namibia remains one of the most unequal countries globally. According to the World Bank, Namibia ranks second only to South Africa among 164 countries in the global database of Gini coefficients, a measure of inequality. Between 2004 and 2015, Namibia’s Gini coefficient declined only slightly, from 61.6 to 59.3—a slow rate of progress.The president acknowledged the challenge. “That does not mean we haven’t witnessed any reduction in inequality since Namibia’s independence. You know, our history is one of those where the disparity based on skin colour was so high.”“We decided, through our policy of national reconciliation, to speak to the hearts and minds of Namibians, to enable all of us united in our diversity to contribute toward reducing the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Of course, we didn’t achieve the results we hoped for. That’s why we are now in a phase where we must refine,” she said.On unemployment, Nandi-Ndaitwah reiterated Swapo’s 2024 manifesto pledge to revitalise key economic sectors that can generate jobs. “One of them is, as you know, the Namibian economy is mineral-based. And for a long time, we did not really invest fully in value addition. That’s why our cabinet has taken a decision to pay special attention to value addition, because we cannot allow the continued exploitation of our natural resources, with most of them leaving the country unprocessed,” she said.She added that the government will also promote agro-processing and other innovative industries involving the youth, as well as expand efforts in mining, fishing, and now the promising oil and gas sector.“We should derive benefit from them,” she concluded. - Nikanor@nmh-hub.com.na

Netumbo unimpressed by willing seller policy, targets absentee landlords

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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Netumbo unimpressed by willing seller policy, targets absentee landlords

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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