Nangof might withdraw from land talks

JEMIMA BEUKES

It is appears as if the civil society organisation representing landless Namibians, the Namibia Non-Governmental Organisation Forum (Nangof), may withdraw from the land conference if its concerns are not addressed.

According to sources, the decision to withdraw has been endorsed by the Nama and Ovaherero chiefs and an eleventh-hour meeting has been called with President Hage Geingob to intervene.

Uhuru Dempers of Nangof confirmed to Namibian Sun that they had raised concerns but said a decision to withdraw from the land conference was not on the cards.

“We have concerns and we are continually discussing these concerns with the prime minister’s office. Some of the concerns are still not resolved but some have been,” he said.

According to Dempers, the concerns have to do with the land conference’s official programme and the participant list.

Nangof chairperson Sandie Tjaronda also said it would be suicidal for civil society to withdraw.

“There are of course concerns such as the matter of inclusivity and the organisation of the land conference. We also have a concern with the lack of transparency and the fact that there is no communication from the minister to inform us where we stand,” Tjaronda told Namibian Sun yesterday.

In 2017, Nangof petitioned the president’s office to intervene and postpone the land conference.

Nangof claimed that the land reform ministry was not ready for a conference of such magnitude, adding that too much was at stake. It added that the conference was being organised without the involvement of all the stakeholders.

The president heeded this call and postponed the land conference, which is now scheduled to take place next month, from 1 to 5 October.

The civil society body has invested a great deal in the conference to ensure that the plight of landless Namibians is taken into consideration.

Nangof hired social scientist Sima Luipert to consult with the landless in preparation for the second national land conference, and to conduct research for it. Exhaustive, countrywide meetings were held early this year.

This work was stolen when thieves broke into Luipert’s car at the parliament garden while she was inside the National Assembly to listen to a debate where the Land Bill was withdrawn following criticism from political opposition.

Luipert maintains this was an organised crime, as the robbers took only her files and notes of the land conference but left a laptop that was on the back seat.

Commentators who preferred anonymity said it would be calamitous if Nangof were to withdraw from the land conference, as it is the only body at the meeting representing civil society.