Water and access issues frustrating resettled farmers

Resettled farmers in the //Kharas region say they are struggling with access to their farms, water and dilapidated infrastructure.

They are calling on the government to urgently intervene.

Paul Stephanus, a resettled farmer, says he has been unable to access his farm for the past four years, because an “illegal caretaker” has resettled himself on his property.

He said this at Keetmanshoop, where farmers resettled on 180 farming units in the //Kharas region were gathered at the University of Namibia’s southern campus for Resettled Farmers’ Day on Thursday.

“I have been fighting with the government for the past four years, but my pleas have been falling on deaf ears. I want the government to intervene in that process as quickly as possible.

“All that is left for me to do is to take the law into my own hands, and whatever happens happens, and the government will be responsible,” Stephanus said.

The convened farmers expressed their disappointment in the way farms and units are allocated in the region.

Resettled farmer Andries Basson said he knows of multiple people in need of farming land who have been applying for years.

He said they often hear that the majority of allocations are made to people from regions outside//|Kharas, and that they do not take possession of the farms.

“Why can’t you resettle people from //Kharas?” Basson asked.

The //Kharas Resettled Farmers Association called for the decentralisation of the development budget to enhance service delivery as well as applications for emergency sub-leasing agreements for a period of up to six months.

Chairperson Sophia Motinga said the implementation of the water and fencing rehabilitation programme under the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform is very slow and puts human and animal lives at risk.

She said resettled farmers are blamed for being unproductive, while the infrastructure they receive on the ground does not correspond with what they are promised.

“There are too few water points. Not all boreholes are functional, as we are informed by government officials.

“The available water points are coupled with long distances between them. These are the day-to-day challenges farmers experience,” Motinga said.

The association also called for the expedition of the signing of lease agreements and implementation of the livestock restocking scheme, as well as the establishment of a fund assisting emerging farmers hit by natural disasters.

The deputy director of land reform in the //Kharas region, Nangolo Nangolo, said it was possible that some infrastructure was stolen after assessments were done and that this was only discovered upon allocation.

“We are here to make sure we help you. Therefore, if you are rightfully and legally resettled, bring your complaints so we can address them. We are committed to engaging you on a one-on-one basis,” he said.

Resettled Farmers’ Day focuses on information sharing between resettled farmers and senior officials of the land ministry to ensure increased productivity.

Topics covered included the loan restocking programme, veterinary-related issues, breeding schemes, predator control and hunting permits.