Robben Island vets get some land of their own

ABOUT 60 liberation struggle veterans, who spent years of their lives locked up on Robben Island, yesterday became the official owners of about 380 hectares of farmland on the expropriated Ongombo West farm.

Government handed over Unit C of the farm outside Windhoek to the Namibia Former Robben Island Political Prisoners Trust, complete with a newly installed irrigation system worth close to N$2 million.The farm was divided into four sections when Government expropriated it in 2005.The Robben Island veterans include retired politician Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, Congress of Democrats leader Ben Ulenga and retired politicians Helao Shityuwete and Hitjevi Veii.Lands and Resettlement Minister Alpheus !Naruseb handed over the land, which was allocated to the group in 2007 already.The ceremony took place in the former one-hectare flower garden, which used to produce arum lilies for export to markets in Europe and other parts of Africa.Since the former owners left, the soil was allowed to become barren, and Lands Ministry sources say it will take time to rehabilitate it.Possible crops to be experimented with, according to the new owners, are lettuce, cabbage, chillies, peppers, onions, and sunflowers.!Naruseb said yesterday that the N$1,9 million in irrigation equipment installed at the farm was funded through his Ministry’s Land Acquisition and Development Fund.’Based on information from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, and from the co-operative members themselves, this equipment being handed over today will result in the establishment and continual production of flowers and quality horticultural produce for the local market and export market in the near future. It is our sincere expectation that they’ll make good use of this infrastructure, as it didn’t come cheap,’ !Naruseb said.Negative publicity dogged Government’s 2005 expropriation of Ongombo West from the Wiese family.The family, running the farm as a commercial entity, employed about 15 workers and exported between 5 000 and 6 000 flowers a week.But after the resettlement, land that was once productively used became unproductive.About 50 families were resettled on different sections of the farm but struggled to make ends meet, the media reported last year.Since then, Government has apparently appointed a number of consulting companies to give them technical support.Yesterday’s handover comes at a time when the Lands Ministry is trying to get rid of about 200 protesters who have been camping on the border between the farm and the neighbouring Ongombo East since earlier this month.The group initially tried to settle on Ongombo East, which is registered as a closed corporation under the ownership of an Italian citizen, claiming they have ancestral roots on the farm.After a Government warning to leave the farm or face possible ‘forceful removal’ the group was yesterday found camping along the road between the two farms.’They say they don’t want us on the farm after placing us there themselves, so fine. Now we’re standing next to the road,’ a spokesperson for the //Naosan /Aes Committee, Sululu Isaacks, said.The protesters criticised Government’s decision to hand over land to the former Robben Island prisoners, arguing that many of the beneficiaries were people who already owned land in other parts of the country.