Opposition parties slam Land Bill
The United People's Movement (UPM) and the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) say the Land Bill should be put on hold pending the outcome of the scheduled second land conference later this year.
The United People's Movement (UPM) and the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) have expressed dissatisfaction with the government's resettlement programme ahead of the second land conference slated for later this year.
Releasing a statement, party president Jan van Wyk said: “The UPM has noted with huge concern the failure of government to address the problems with regard to the resettlement programme.
“On 17 June 2016 the UPM used the parliamentary platform to get answers from the land reform minister. The minister was also asked to define the word 'resettlement' as the currently criteria selectively discriminate against indigenous minorities.”
Nudo secretary-general Meundju Jahanika said: “The National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) has learned with shock that the Ministry of Land Reform has extended the deadline for submissions on the Land Bill until 16 February 2017 while we have requested the minister to withdraw the Land Bill until after the second land conference and fortunately President Hage Geingob announced that the Second Land Conference will take place in September 2017, therefore, there is no need to reintroduce the bill before the conference and to ask for submissions.
“Nudo is of the opinion that the deliberations in the second national land conference should form the basis of articles that need to be included in the bill based of the recommendations made at the land conference.
Although the proposed bill made provision for foreign nationals not to own land in Namibia, which is a good move in principle, it is very much premature to have the bill passed through the parliament before the second land conference.”
It is alleged that Van Wyk was denied the right to speak on the Land Bill.
“The UPM is of the opinion that the resettlement programme in its current form has become an instrument to expropriate ancestral land.
“Van Wyk in his contribution referred to the plight of the Nama people.
Today the Nama people have become the victims of the current regime because they want land, the land that was taken from them.
The current government has expropriated the land of the Rehoboth Baster Gemeente and other properties by a deliberate wrong interpretation of Schedule 5 of the Namibian Constitution.”
He accused Swapo of enriching certain citizens, saying: “Namibia has become a country that provides for the rich and the well connected, as many of the well linked were resettled at the expense of the poor indigenous landless.”
Backing the former deputy lands minister, Van Wyk said: “The UPM fully agreed with the statements of [Bernadus] Swartbooi, as he has spoken the truth, something the Swapo led government is afraid of. The UPM had manifested that it will fight for the rights of the minorities of which land, including affordable urban land, will be toping its agenda.
“We want to know why the minister and Swapo-led government see it fit to introduce the bill and eventually the Land Act before the second land conference.
We, therefore, call upon all opposition parties in the National Assembly to boycott the debate on the proposed Land Bill if it reintroduced by the minister before the second land conference in September 2017,” Van Wyk said.Said Jahanika: “It is almost 24 years back now since we had the first National Land Conference and the experience of these years shows that Namas and Hereros whose forefathers and mothers killed for their land have not benefited as far as land reform is concerned, but only those from Ovamboland whose forefathers and mothers were never killed because of land.”
Van Wyk accused the government of side-lining minorities.
“The Namibian government's definition on the word 'resettlement' effectively contributes to the strategy to outlive indigenous minorities from the lands of their forefathers, in an effort to let the current and new generation to disappear in to the masses and to rob them from their identity.
“The Swapo-led government has shown those members of minority groups who are in the ranks of Swapo need to keep their mouths shut as they are not allowed to speak against the wishes of the ethnic majority. The so-called 'Nobody should be left out' has proven to be just another empty dream.”
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Releasing a statement, party president Jan van Wyk said: “The UPM has noted with huge concern the failure of government to address the problems with regard to the resettlement programme.
“On 17 June 2016 the UPM used the parliamentary platform to get answers from the land reform minister. The minister was also asked to define the word 'resettlement' as the currently criteria selectively discriminate against indigenous minorities.”
Nudo secretary-general Meundju Jahanika said: “The National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) has learned with shock that the Ministry of Land Reform has extended the deadline for submissions on the Land Bill until 16 February 2017 while we have requested the minister to withdraw the Land Bill until after the second land conference and fortunately President Hage Geingob announced that the Second Land Conference will take place in September 2017, therefore, there is no need to reintroduce the bill before the conference and to ask for submissions.
“Nudo is of the opinion that the deliberations in the second national land conference should form the basis of articles that need to be included in the bill based of the recommendations made at the land conference.
Although the proposed bill made provision for foreign nationals not to own land in Namibia, which is a good move in principle, it is very much premature to have the bill passed through the parliament before the second land conference.”
It is alleged that Van Wyk was denied the right to speak on the Land Bill.
“The UPM is of the opinion that the resettlement programme in its current form has become an instrument to expropriate ancestral land.
“Van Wyk in his contribution referred to the plight of the Nama people.
Today the Nama people have become the victims of the current regime because they want land, the land that was taken from them.
The current government has expropriated the land of the Rehoboth Baster Gemeente and other properties by a deliberate wrong interpretation of Schedule 5 of the Namibian Constitution.”
He accused Swapo of enriching certain citizens, saying: “Namibia has become a country that provides for the rich and the well connected, as many of the well linked were resettled at the expense of the poor indigenous landless.”
Backing the former deputy lands minister, Van Wyk said: “The UPM fully agreed with the statements of [Bernadus] Swartbooi, as he has spoken the truth, something the Swapo led government is afraid of. The UPM had manifested that it will fight for the rights of the minorities of which land, including affordable urban land, will be toping its agenda.
“We want to know why the minister and Swapo-led government see it fit to introduce the bill and eventually the Land Act before the second land conference.
We, therefore, call upon all opposition parties in the National Assembly to boycott the debate on the proposed Land Bill if it reintroduced by the minister before the second land conference in September 2017,” Van Wyk said.Said Jahanika: “It is almost 24 years back now since we had the first National Land Conference and the experience of these years shows that Namas and Hereros whose forefathers and mothers killed for their land have not benefited as far as land reform is concerned, but only those from Ovamboland whose forefathers and mothers were never killed because of land.”
Van Wyk accused the government of side-lining minorities.
“The Namibian government's definition on the word 'resettlement' effectively contributes to the strategy to outlive indigenous minorities from the lands of their forefathers, in an effort to let the current and new generation to disappear in to the masses and to rob them from their identity.
“The Swapo-led government has shown those members of minority groups who are in the ranks of Swapo need to keep their mouths shut as they are not allowed to speak against the wishes of the ethnic majority. The so-called 'Nobody should be left out' has proven to be just another empty dream.”
STAFF REPORTER
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