SMALL-SCALE farmers from Aroab who are illegally occupying farm Dickbusch in that district have ignored an eviction order served on them last Friday.
The notices were handed over by //Karas regional chief of the Ministry of Land Reform, Albertus Engelbrecht and the messenger of the court, Pieter van Heerden, to 11 of about 25 protesting farmers.
The farmers are from the Aroab town council camps, where they have been farming for over 20 years.
During this time, they have repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, applied to be resettled on various farms in the Aroab district.
They also applied for resettlement on Dickbusch last year, but were disqualified because the farmers sought to be resettled as a group, which is not permitted in the resettlement programme of the ministry. Frustrated, the farmers in October invaded the farm, and petitioned various stakeholders, including //Karas governor and chairperson of the //Karas resettlement committee Lucia Basson, and Keetmanshoop rural constituency councillor, Elias Kharuxab.
They said it was unfair that farms in the south were being allocated to beneficiaries from other regions at the cost of landless inhabitants of the region.
The two units of Dickbusch, meanwhile, have been allocated to Zikizee Mutenge from Omaheke and Ottilie Shidolo from Ohangwena.
The Aroab farmers said they, along with Koës farmers, were left out of the resettlement programme, as the two districts do not have traditional authority (TA) representation.
Basson confirmed this, saying recommendations from TAs were important in the allocation of farms.
The farmers’ spokesperson, Gertjie Witbooi, told Nampa yesterday that they regard the late notice as illegal.
The notice is dated 25 November, and they were supposed to be out on 25 December 2016.
“We reject Engelbrecht’s verbal instruction that we should be out by 27 February, and have forwarded the notices to the Legal Assistance Centre for advice.”
He said the farmers “will fight till the end” to remain on Dickbusch or to be resettled elsewhere in the area.
“We will not go. The other farmers who are not yet on Dickbusch will also come, and we will erect accommodation facilities as well,” Witbooi said.
Engelbrecht told Nampa the law will take its course if the farmers fail to vacate by 27 February.
“It will be ugly,” Engelbrecht said, adding that if they refuse to leave voluntarily, they will be removed by force.
– Nampa
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