Ombudsman probe into Ya Toivo farm blocked

American-born Vicki Erenstein Ya Toivo, who is at the centre of an unfolding public outcry over a resettlement farm she was awarded, says she will be occupying her land within 30 days.This comes as ombudsman John Walters lifted the veil on how his office was ignored after it tried to probe in January whether it was true that well-to-do or politically connected individuals, including Erenstein Ya Toivo, had been lined up to benefit from resettlement land.It emerged on Monday that Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo's widow is among seven recent settlement beneficiaries. She received a 2 376-hectare farm in the Omaheke Region after the ministry advertised the land parcels in December 2017 and allocated them barely a month after.Erenstein Ya Toivo confirmed that she indeed applied for a resettlement farm, but only because the initial one her late husband received in 2015 was in a poor condition and had no housing structures for workers, a broken borehole and broken fences in some areas. “Against that background, in or about August 2017, I applied to the ministry of land reform, with the assistance of the executor of my husband's estate, to inherit the leasehold, in accordance with statutory procedures. “Among other things, our daughters and my husband's surviving son had to appear before a magistrate to indicate their approval of my continuing the leasehold under my name. “When it came to my attention that other leasehold farms were being advertised by the ministry, I applied for two different leaseholds toward the end of the year. Along with my application, I provided the background set out above, and I indicated that I sought to 'swap' or relinquish the existing leasehold in favour of one of the ones for which I applied. “The plots which I applied are better equipped, have better water condition, and are closer to Windhoek,” she said, while confirming she will in fact occupy the farm within 30 days.Walters said the first complaint regarding this resettlement process had been received in January, as rumours swept through the Omaheke Region about who had been earmarked to be resettled. According to Walters, his staff drove to Gobabis but were not allowed to attend a meeting held by the regional land reform committee and even though they had requested minutes of the gathering, in a bid to launch a probe into the matter, this was never received. “It was too short notice to go to court to get a court order to stop it in order to allow the ombudsman to attend the meeting and we also did not have the money. We just saw in the newspaper, when they had announced the names, that it was now concluded,” he said. Walters said it is time that government asked itself whether it is still honouring the key purpose of its land reform policy, which is to provide land to destitute and landless people.“You cannot provide John Walters with farm, I am not destitute and I am not poor,” he said. Walters, who compiled a 72-page report titled 'A Nation Divided: Why do Racism and Other Forms of Discrimination still Persist after Twenty-Seven Years of Namibian Independence', dedicated an entire chapter on the frustration brewing amongst Namibians towards the government's land reform policy. The report revealed the deep dissatisfaction of citizens about the way in which land resettlement takes places, as well as sentiments that the process is tainted by unfairness and discrimination.Toni Hancox, the director of the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC), highlighted that while she is not aware of the details and reasoning behind the decision to award Ya Toivo's widow resettlement land, it has long been LAC's stance that resettlement should be based on need and the ability to productively utilise the land. “These factors should be there in equal measure. In particular, while we are cognisant of the sacrifices that were made by many in the struggle for independence, these sacrifices were made for the liberation and benefit of all Namibians. “We are aware that many deserving people are waiting for inordinately long periods on the outcomes of their applications for resettlement, whilst there are instances of people - quite frequently the wealthy or politically connected - who always appear to be considered first,” said Hancox. The Landless People's Movement (LPM) said the Ya Toivo family has never shown themselves to be farmers, while others need the land for their basic survival.“The elite need it to show-off and they get it scot-free. It demonstrates how the land issues are also part of the class struggles, as the ruling elite take care of their own kith and kin. “Soon, any Chinese or Taiwanese woman married to any politician or those doing business with politicians, such as Jack Huang, will be allocated huge farms. If we thought there was a limit to the immoral and corrupt practices of Swapo, we were wrong!” Namibian Sun visited the lands ministry to get hold of its permanent secretary Peter Amutenya, who was meeting with the land reform commissioners on Tuesday. His secretary however referred all questions to the public relations department. Spokesperson Chrispin Matongela said he sent all the questions he had received regarding the Omaheke resettlement farms to the PS. Namibian Sun was also told lands minister Utoni Nujoma is aware of the media inquiries questions.He was, however, unreachable. JEMIMA BEUKES

Ombudsman probe into Ya Toivo farm blocked

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-10

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Ombudsman probe into Ya Toivo farm blocked

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-10

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