RP leader Henk Mudge pledges to take back all allocated farms and reassign them to productive farmers

Republican Party (RP) leader Henk Mudge says if he is elected as president he will expropriate all allocated farms and reallocate them to capable farmers.

He says many farmers are unproductive and do not contribute to the economy as their farms are used for weekend retreats, instead of food production.

Mudge said this at the launch of the party’s manifesto in Windhoek last month.

He accused the government of using affirmative action and black economic empowerment to “allocate land to their friends and family” while resettling those in need on small, divided farms.

“It has proven impossible to make a subsistence living from there. What needs to be done is that we must identify black farmers who have the ability and potential to become a good farmer, and allocate them a farm and assist them with finance and technical support to make sure they become prosperous farmers that will contribute to our economy,” Mudge said.

“That is why Swapo’s land reform policy is a complete failure . . . I would also expropriate all farms given to business people in Windhoek who use those farms as weekend retreats,” he said.

The implementation of the land reform policy is a disaster so far, he said.

“The only way is to start all over again. We cannot carry on where we are now, because there are hundreds of farms that have been taken out of the economy because owners do not produce.”