Ohangwena rejects ancestral land calls
Stakeholders in the Ohangwena Region say any talk about ancestral land should not be entertained.
Public consultations on land reform that took place at Eenhana in the Ohangwena Region this week, have resolved that the current distribution and administration process regarding land reform is treating Namibians unfairly.
The consultative meeting, one of many held across the country and organised by the lands ministry, criticised the willing-buyer willing-seller policy and strongly rejected the ancestral land demanded by some Namibians.
The group also recommended that land in the ownership of foreigners should be expropriated without compensation.
These were the views of the Ohangwena stakeholders that comprised traditional leaders, regional councillors and community members.
They agreed that the land question is not being addressed to the benefit of all Namibians.
Ohangwena Governor Usko Nghaamwa said that the willing-buyer willing-seller policy has “failed the nation and did not yield any positive results in terms of land delivery” to the citizens. He said that even for people who have money there is still no land to buy.
“Even if you are a willing buyer with money and want to buy and there is no willing seller and you will not get land. This is because not always there are willing sellers. If they are there they set their price high and unaffordable,” Nghaamwa said.
He added that the willing-buyer willing-seller is a failure in itself and suggested that it be done away with.
Ohangwena regional participants also rejected the ancestral land question saying the land belongs to all Namibians.
The majority of attendees said that everyone in Namibia should be allowed to stay and reside wherever they wish as provided for in the constitution.
Some warned that the ancestral land issue has the power to divide the nation.
Veteran politician and currently the village headman in the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority, Kanana Hishoono expressed his concern over absentee landowners.
He said that government should acquire all those farms and expropriate it to qualifying Namibians.
“If there is a Namibian farming outside the country, he should come back home and stay in his land. Otherwise, foreign-owned farms should be expropriated without compensation and be given to the needy Namibians,” Hishoono said.
Participants supported Hishoono's viewpoint and strongly recommended for land expropriated and the owner be compensated only for infrastructure on the land.
However, another Oukwanyama village headman Dineinge Sheya cautioned that the expropriation of land and its redistribution should be done with proper care and without inviting hunger in the country.
The meeting, that was also attended by queen of Oukwanyama Martha Mwadinomo Nelumbu, suggested that government should start giving allowances to village headman in order to fairy administer lands in the areas of jurisdictions.
They said that they are leading villages with no means of income from the land, yet they are working hard to assist government with land administration.
They said government should determine the purchase prices of land and regulate all the land dealings in the country.
The meeting also asked for a database to determine how many absentee-owned farms there are in the country. They also proposed a 12 000-hectare standard size for each farm, because some farms are big, but unproductive.
On the issue of communal land the meeting said that those who have land on the south of redline should not be allowed to own farmland in the communal areas.
This suggestion was made as it was alleged that senior politicians and powerful individuals own big farms in both communal and commercial areas.
The Ohangwena consultations were held on Monday and Tuesday. Land ministry officials have proceeded to the Kavango West Region where the same conference started yesterday.
ILENI NANDJATO
The consultative meeting, one of many held across the country and organised by the lands ministry, criticised the willing-buyer willing-seller policy and strongly rejected the ancestral land demanded by some Namibians.
The group also recommended that land in the ownership of foreigners should be expropriated without compensation.
These were the views of the Ohangwena stakeholders that comprised traditional leaders, regional councillors and community members.
They agreed that the land question is not being addressed to the benefit of all Namibians.
Ohangwena Governor Usko Nghaamwa said that the willing-buyer willing-seller policy has “failed the nation and did not yield any positive results in terms of land delivery” to the citizens. He said that even for people who have money there is still no land to buy.
“Even if you are a willing buyer with money and want to buy and there is no willing seller and you will not get land. This is because not always there are willing sellers. If they are there they set their price high and unaffordable,” Nghaamwa said.
He added that the willing-buyer willing-seller is a failure in itself and suggested that it be done away with.
Ohangwena regional participants also rejected the ancestral land question saying the land belongs to all Namibians.
The majority of attendees said that everyone in Namibia should be allowed to stay and reside wherever they wish as provided for in the constitution.
Some warned that the ancestral land issue has the power to divide the nation.
Veteran politician and currently the village headman in the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority, Kanana Hishoono expressed his concern over absentee landowners.
He said that government should acquire all those farms and expropriate it to qualifying Namibians.
“If there is a Namibian farming outside the country, he should come back home and stay in his land. Otherwise, foreign-owned farms should be expropriated without compensation and be given to the needy Namibians,” Hishoono said.
Participants supported Hishoono's viewpoint and strongly recommended for land expropriated and the owner be compensated only for infrastructure on the land.
However, another Oukwanyama village headman Dineinge Sheya cautioned that the expropriation of land and its redistribution should be done with proper care and without inviting hunger in the country.
The meeting, that was also attended by queen of Oukwanyama Martha Mwadinomo Nelumbu, suggested that government should start giving allowances to village headman in order to fairy administer lands in the areas of jurisdictions.
They said that they are leading villages with no means of income from the land, yet they are working hard to assist government with land administration.
They said government should determine the purchase prices of land and regulate all the land dealings in the country.
The meeting also asked for a database to determine how many absentee-owned farms there are in the country. They also proposed a 12 000-hectare standard size for each farm, because some farms are big, but unproductive.
On the issue of communal land the meeting said that those who have land on the south of redline should not be allowed to own farmland in the communal areas.
This suggestion was made as it was alleged that senior politicians and powerful individuals own big farms in both communal and commercial areas.
The Ohangwena consultations were held on Monday and Tuesday. Land ministry officials have proceeded to the Kavango West Region where the same conference started yesterday.
ILENI NANDJATO
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