Otniel Hembapu
OTJINENE – Okorukambe constituency councillor Rocco Nguvauva has bemoaned the growing trend of beneficiaries sub-leasing government resettlement farms to third parties, saying such tendencies undermine efforts to address the intense land question.
Nguvauva, who also recently raised the same concern in the National Council, told New Era that resettled farmers in Omaheke and other regions have made it a habit to sub-let government resettlement farms to third parties without following prescribed laws and procedures.
The sub-leasing of government resettlement farms is provided for under the Agricultural Land Reform Act of 1995, but such sub-letting agreements can only be done with the written approval of the minister.
However, many resettled farmers do not follow the set rules and procedures in seeking the minister’s approval before sub-leasing to external parties.
“It is painful that some of the beneficiaries who benefited from the government resettlement programme never actually occupied their farms, as they started off by sub-leasing them to third and fourth parties. That alone tells you that these people never had interest in farming in the first place. What is sad is that the ministry is aware of these issues, as inspections are always done and reports are submitted to the Land Advisory Commission. Why is action not being taken? These illegal actions undermine government efforts to address the burning land question which the country faces,” charged Nguvauva.
With this year’s anticipated drought now clearly on the horizon, the councillor has called on the land reform ministry to conduct an audit on all unoccupied farms and on those that are illegally sub-leased to third parties, and to take immediate action.
“As we all know and anticipate, this year is a drought year. I, therefore, call upon the minister of agriculture, water and land reform to immediately withdraw all lease agreements of those who benefited from the resettlement process and never occupied their farms, and those who are illegally sub-leasing those farms, and consider farmers from areas heavily- affected by the drought because they are really suffering and in need of urgent assistance with relocation to better areas,” he added.
The councillor has other gripes.
“Another thorny issue is that the resettlement process has become very slow and with the current minister, land delivery has further slowed down. We heard of farms purchased by government, but it takes so long for those farms to be advertised for resettlement. In the process, the farms end up losing value and are vandalised as they remain unoccupied for just too long. I call upon the offices of the land reform ministry and that of the Attorney General to speed up the process of land delivery. If farms are purchased, the process must be finalised at least within three months, and the farms must handed over to the beneficiaries.” – ohembapu@nepc.com.na