Resettlement: Pensioner applies 35 times in vain

Retired civil servant Benjamin Tobias has revealed how he applied up to 35 times for a piece of resettlement land, without the lands ministry even having the courtesy to tell him why his applications were not successful.

Among the land parcels he applied for was one on farm Joyce, where Herman Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo's widow was granted a portion of land earlier this year.

“I don't have a problem with the Ya Toivos, but I was very disappointed that my name did not appear (on the list of beneficiaries). She is not a Namibian, she was only married to one,” Tobias said.

Ironically, Tobias was among those targeted by criminals at yesterday's ombudsman hearings into government's resettlement programme. The hearings were disrupted when brazen criminals targeted the vehicles of the attendees at UN Plaza in Katutura.

Ombudsman John Walters said the consultations provide a platform to aggrieved persons to share their experiences, especially where they did not receive any feedback from ministry.

He said he also wanted hear from beneficiaries who were allocated land, but did even have a chicken to their name.

Walters said wants to find out whether the land reform policy achieved its aim to put people on farms to become self-sustainable and to create jobs. He said the policy specifically targets the San, ex-Koevoet, Plan liberation fighters, people with a disabilities and those in overcrowded areas.

“I have heard over and over that only the rich people are benefiting and not the targeted people,” said Walters.

He said following the consultations, of which Windhoek is the last, he will write a report for lands minister Utoni Nujoma.

Thereafter it will be made public during a media conference. The report will also contain meaningful recommendations.

Tobias related his resettlement experience and said he was resettled in 2006 when Jerry Ekandjo was lands minister.

He said at the time he was working as a civil servant, but he since retired in 2014.

According to him he was resettled in Otjozondjupa on a plot of about 25 hectares.

However, immediately after receiving the plot, Tobias complained to the ministry there was no water and fence.

He was informed the farm would be rehabilitated.

He said there was a dilapidated house, a fence that was straight on one side and falling on the other and a borehole.

“I never occupied the farm because there was no proper infrastructure.”

He says a lease agreement was signed.

A ministry official inspected the farm and a report was submitted. Tobias said he also went to the agriculture ministry, which did tests on the borehole and said it must be upgraded.

He said several meetings were held with the ministry and after Alpheus !Naruseb took over as minister the problems were raised with him.

!Naruseb eventually advised him to relinquish the plot and reapply for another farm, Tobias said.

He received his letter of relinquishment in 2015.

Since then he has applied for resettlement land between 28 to 35 times and has received no feedback from the ministry.

He said he has copies of all his applications, adding officials at the regional lands office sometimes refused to stamp the copies as proof that he handed them in.

He said he also applied for the “four problem farms of Omaheke”, which are Riverside, Joyce, Heatherbelle and a part of Tweeling.

Ya Toivo's widow, Advocate Vicki Erenstein ya Toivo, was resettled on unit A of farm Joyce measuring 2 376 hectares.

Walters said the fact that officials did not want to stamp applications, makes him wonder if Tobias' applications even reached the regional resettlement committee.

Walters said his legal team will be looking into who the members of regional resettlement committees are, how they qualified to be on these committees and if they are selected or elected.

He said he will also be making a recommendation that they do not sit too long on these committees.

ELLANIE SMIT