White farmers commit to land reform resolutions

THE president of the Namibia Agriculture Union, Ryno van der Merwe, says white farmers are committed to implementing the resolutions taken at the recent second national land conference.

In a statement issued last Friday, Van der Merwe said the resolutions taken at the land conference were discussed at NAUs’; annual congress held in Windhoek this month.

He said the farmers at that meeting took the request made by President Hage Geingob “seriously”.

“Even though the NAU does not agree with all decisions” taken at the land conference, the union agreed to make positive contributions towards land reform in the country, and that “we want to be part of the solution to the problem,” Van der Merwe added.

“The NAU reconfirms its support and commitment to land reform in the country, and would like to make an active contribution to ensure that it will lead to sustainable, productive use of all agricultural land in the country,” he said. Geingob last week told current landowners, especially “white farmers”, to make more land available for sale, and “not only barren land”, while the government was in the process of developing enabling legislation to allow for the expropriation of the farmland of absentee landlords. Geingob also challenged commercial farmers to provide decent housing, remuneration and sanitation to farmworkers and generational farmworkers “to ensure the dignity of our fellow Namibians”.

“Farmers need to respect the dignity of their farmworkers, and start treating their workers like human beings. It is also incumbent upon us to enforce the law that protects workers, with greater vigour,” the president said during the closure of the land conference.

Statistics show that 70% of freehold commercial land in Namibia is owned by previously advantaged or white farmers, including foreigners.

Previously disadvantaged (black people) own 16% of the total 39 million hectares of freehold agricultural land, while the government owns 14%, or 5,4 million hectares.

Among the resolutions taken at thE conference was the decision to address the increasing evictions which have left many farmworkers homeless and seeking refuge in corridors.

This resolution compels farm owners to allocate portions of land to farmworkers and provide them with housing, among others. The NAU leader added that the union’;s congress held on Thursday last week took “specific decisions” to commit its members “to make a difference in the quality of life of farm workers”, and to assist long-serving farm workers with retirement planning.

The union also wants to continue making contributions with regards to poverty alleviation by “initiating new and supporting existing socio-economic projects in which the commercial agricultural sector is already involved, including old-age homes, schools and clinics”.

Van der Merwe said the union will further get more actively involved in the support of emerging and resettled farmers.