Commercial farmers come to the party

Commercial farmers last week resolved to heed President Hage Geingob's call on land reform. This includes the improvement of farmworkers' living standards, to reduce poverty, to improve the dignity of farmworkers and also to support long-service farmworkers through their retirement. This will be managed through farmers associations and supported by the Namibian Agricultural Union (NAU). It was also resolved that mentorship programmes must be expanded. The resolution was made during the annual congress of the NAU. This followed the recently concluded land conference during which the expropriation of land without compensation and other matters were discussed.NAU president Ryno van der Merwe said that he was informed that Geingob during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday already instructed the land reform minister to implement some of the resolutions that were taken during the land conference. He however eased fears of commercial farmers saying that some of the resolutions that were taken during the land conference were already taken during the first land conference in 1991, but were never implemented. An example of this is the expropriation of foreign-owned land.“I am not afraid. I will continue farming as usual. I will not be frightened like I was before. We are safe and we must continue as normal.”He said commercial farmers therefore have a choice about the way forward. Van der Merwe explained that Geingob called upon the commercial farmers twice to meet him halfway. According to Van der Merwe, the president called on farmers to improve farmworkers' living standards, to acknowledge and improve the dignity of farmworkers and also to support long-service farmworkers through retirement, through either providing housing or giving them land. “I am not willing to have the president ask me a third time what we have done regarding his call.”He told commercial farmers that even though the changes they have to implement are not big, everyone has to come on board. “I know that there are some of us that are already doing more than is being asked, some are almost there, but then there others that are doing the minimum.”He asked farmers if they are willing to accept the challenge from the president.“Are you willing or not? If you are not willing then you will have to elect another president to represent you, but if you are willing, we will have to work on plans. My message is not one of fear, but of urgency and pride.”One the farmers said that they will heed the call of the president. “We are proud and we have to show this by way of our deeds.”Another farmer said that he is willing to give his support and help with the process of land reform. “In this context we do not have a choice but to say yes. We will have to do it and we will have to persevere,” another farmer replied. Another commercial farmer said that he feels that all farmers must come to the party especially when it comes to creating jobs and caring for old people. Van der Merwe also added that the union wants to create a record of all social initiatives and projects that farmers are involved with in their areas and that this must be promoted more. According to another farmer they do not have a choice but to meet Geingob half way. “We will come to the party.”“We must go back to the president with a list of all these initiatives and projects that each and every one of us is involved in in our communities and that we never made public.” ELLANIE SMIT

Commercial farmers come to the party

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-03

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Commercial farmers come to the party

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-03

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