EDITORIAL: At last, land reform has teeth
For decades, Namibia’s land reform has been a promise more honoured in speeches than in deeds. Our nation’s fertile soils are a testament to history’s injustices, when vast tracts of prime agricultural land lay in the hands of a few.
The current willing buyer–willing seller model was a polite fiction - one that allowed entrenched elites to sit comfortably on the wealth of the land that was meant for all of us.
Slow, patchy, and overwhelmingly costly, the current system left ordinary Namibians on the sidelines. Meanwhile, absentee owners, underutilised holdings, and properties illegally held by foreigners continued to sit idle, a stark reminder that the status quo served everyone but the nation.
Enter the 2025 Land Bill and suddenly Namibia is waking up to the reality that land reform must be bold, decisive, and unapologetically assertive. This is not a timid policy tweak; it is a radical step that recognises what should have been obvious long ago – that equitable access to land is not charity but justice. The minister now has the authority to target underused or unfairly held farms, expropriate them in the public interest, and ensure they reach those who truly need them.
Critics will howl about ‘state overreach’ and ‘market disruption’, but such cries ring hollow against the backdrop of centuries of skewed ownership. Justice delayed is justice denied, and Namibia cannot afford another generation of polite negotiations that yield empty promises.
This is our moment to reclaim the promise of independence. The 2025 Land Bill is not just legislation - it is a signal that the government will no longer treat land as a playground for the privileged few. It is a roadmap for redressing historical wrongs, restoring dignity, and enabling meaningful participation in the country’s agricultural wealth.
The current willing buyer–willing seller model was a polite fiction - one that allowed entrenched elites to sit comfortably on the wealth of the land that was meant for all of us.
Slow, patchy, and overwhelmingly costly, the current system left ordinary Namibians on the sidelines. Meanwhile, absentee owners, underutilised holdings, and properties illegally held by foreigners continued to sit idle, a stark reminder that the status quo served everyone but the nation.
Enter the 2025 Land Bill and suddenly Namibia is waking up to the reality that land reform must be bold, decisive, and unapologetically assertive. This is not a timid policy tweak; it is a radical step that recognises what should have been obvious long ago – that equitable access to land is not charity but justice. The minister now has the authority to target underused or unfairly held farms, expropriate them in the public interest, and ensure they reach those who truly need them.
Critics will howl about ‘state overreach’ and ‘market disruption’, but such cries ring hollow against the backdrop of centuries of skewed ownership. Justice delayed is justice denied, and Namibia cannot afford another generation of polite negotiations that yield empty promises.
This is our moment to reclaim the promise of independence. The 2025 Land Bill is not just legislation - it is a signal that the government will no longer treat land as a playground for the privileged few. It is a roadmap for redressing historical wrongs, restoring dignity, and enabling meaningful participation in the country’s agricultural wealth.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article