Doornboom evictees dumped in corridor
The 27 households evicted from Portion B of Farm Doornboom 316 in the Hardap Region are destitute and without water, after they were dumped in a corridor along the reserve of proclaimed road D1282.
They were given eviction notices in November last year and were removed from the farm on 4 June and dropped off next to the main road.
It is understood that neighbouring farmers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation and the group has in the meantime been instructed by Roads Authority to remove their livestock from the side of the road.
“But where do we go?” wondered spokesperson of the group, Willem Katuna.
He said since their eviction they have been able to access water from Doornboom but have since been unable to collect water there since the owner of an adjacent farm through which they have to travel has closed his gates.
The evictees consultated with the office of the Hardap governor, Esme Isaack, at the end of May and met with Edward Wambo, a regional councillor, who Katuna said was instructed by the governor to deal with the matter.
Katuna said neither the governor's office nor the regional council has so far intervened on their behalf.
He said officials from the prime minister's office were also supposed to have met them this week, but this has not happened.
According to Katuma, Wambo had said assistance would not be easy and that only a handful of them might be helped.
Wambo would not give a comment on the matter when contacted on Wednesday.
In May all 27 households were offered pieces of land for free by Victoria Kauluma on her 20 000 hectare Farm Lahnstein No 193, but Katuna said they do not have the means to get there.
Although the group had accepted Kauluma's offer in May they now say they view the Farm Lahnstein offer as a “last resort”.
Representatives of the households have now sought an audience with the Khomas governor, Laura Mcleod-Katjirua for consideration to be resettled somewhere in her region.
BACKGROUND
The group had first moved onto Doornboom in April 2016 after, according to Katuna, they were told by former land reform minister, Alpheus !Naruseb, to find empty farms to settle on and to apply for resettlement, or to request farmers with more than one farm to offer land for sale to the government.
Katuna said after they found Doornboom to be empty and decided to settle on it, the 4 000-hectare government farm was advertised for resettlement purposes and in October 2016 it was allotted to another resettlement beneficiary, Hermann !Garus-Oab.
“The farm was advertised for resettlement while we were sitting there. I want those who made us promises to stand up and take responsibility,” Katuna said.
A government official involved in the eviction process preferring anonymity expressed a personal opinion that the government, since Doornboom is a government farm, could have been more lenient towards the 27 households and could have arranged for a co-habitation with the resettlement beneficiary.
The households have been applying as a group to be resettled since 2014 to no avail.
CATHERINE SASMAN
They were given eviction notices in November last year and were removed from the farm on 4 June and dropped off next to the main road.
It is understood that neighbouring farmers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation and the group has in the meantime been instructed by Roads Authority to remove their livestock from the side of the road.
“But where do we go?” wondered spokesperson of the group, Willem Katuna.
He said since their eviction they have been able to access water from Doornboom but have since been unable to collect water there since the owner of an adjacent farm through which they have to travel has closed his gates.
The evictees consultated with the office of the Hardap governor, Esme Isaack, at the end of May and met with Edward Wambo, a regional councillor, who Katuna said was instructed by the governor to deal with the matter.
Katuna said neither the governor's office nor the regional council has so far intervened on their behalf.
He said officials from the prime minister's office were also supposed to have met them this week, but this has not happened.
According to Katuma, Wambo had said assistance would not be easy and that only a handful of them might be helped.
Wambo would not give a comment on the matter when contacted on Wednesday.
In May all 27 households were offered pieces of land for free by Victoria Kauluma on her 20 000 hectare Farm Lahnstein No 193, but Katuna said they do not have the means to get there.
Although the group had accepted Kauluma's offer in May they now say they view the Farm Lahnstein offer as a “last resort”.
Representatives of the households have now sought an audience with the Khomas governor, Laura Mcleod-Katjirua for consideration to be resettled somewhere in her region.
BACKGROUND
The group had first moved onto Doornboom in April 2016 after, according to Katuna, they were told by former land reform minister, Alpheus !Naruseb, to find empty farms to settle on and to apply for resettlement, or to request farmers with more than one farm to offer land for sale to the government.
Katuna said after they found Doornboom to be empty and decided to settle on it, the 4 000-hectare government farm was advertised for resettlement purposes and in October 2016 it was allotted to another resettlement beneficiary, Hermann !Garus-Oab.
“The farm was advertised for resettlement while we were sitting there. I want those who made us promises to stand up and take responsibility,” Katuna said.
A government official involved in the eviction process preferring anonymity expressed a personal opinion that the government, since Doornboom is a government farm, could have been more lenient towards the 27 households and could have arranged for a co-habitation with the resettlement beneficiary.
The households have been applying as a group to be resettled since 2014 to no avail.
CATHERINE SASMAN
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