WINDHOEK – Swanu of Namibia, the country’s oldest political party, says if voted into power during the November general elections, land will be nationalised so that it is owned on a leasehold-basis only.
“People are not having land and yet those who died for this country died while fighting for the land. You find landlords and absentee landlords who have more than five farms, while Namibian graduates are living in informal old locations. It causes disunity,” said Swanu secretary-general, Tangeni Iijambo.
Speaking in an interview with New Era on Monday, Iijambo said land is one of their top five priority areas among wealth, social justice, education and national unity as stated in their recently launched 30 page party manifesto.
In 2013, the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) estimated that the housing backlog stood at 100 000 and was increasing at 3 700 annually.
In this regard, Swanu says such a massive backlog is appalling and unacceptable.”
“Government’s current mass housing project is already embroiled in controversy and off schedule,” Iijambo said.
“To solve this colossal national problem, Swanu will offer tenders to deserving Namibian companies to construct low-income high-rise flats for the country’s urban poor.”
When asked how Swanu plans to nationalise land, Iijambo noted they will have to do a thorough research on the status on land in Namibia and involve land experts on how to go about it.
“If land is not properly dealt with, you might invite a revolution. Land is supposed to belong to government. Under the leadership of Swanu, no land will be owned privately.”
Swanu further says Namibia’s traditionally agricultural people are forced into urban areas as a consequence of hailing from rural land that is “congested, dry and not arable while an elite few own thousands of hectares of prime land”.
Equally, Swanu also promised to turn the current crippling health system around once elected into power.
“Right now, only 16 percent have medical health benefits. There should be funds to care for all Namibians. We currently have a segregated health system. It is possible because we have the wealth and natural resources are in abundance in this country of a population of 2.1 million,” Iijambo said.
Swanu also promises to provide free education from pre-primary to tertiary level.
Currently Namibia only offers free education at primary level and plans to offer free secondary schooling as of next year.
“Government need to prioritise its policies. Unfortunately only 20 percent of the population are benefiting from the resources and the 80 percent are not. We are not saying there won’t be the poor under Swanu, but all Namibians nee to benefit from resources such as fishing quotas,” he charged.
Moreover, to achieve national unity, Swanu promises to make it strictly illegal to politicise national holidays by wearing party paraphernalia or holding party events during national holiday celebrations.