WE refer to an opinion piece that appeared in the 12 February edition of the Namibian Sun, under the headline ‘Erindi and the stench of the black bourgeois comprador’. This opinion piece is part of the discourse surrounding the reported sale of Farm Erindi for a purported N$1.3 billion by its owners.
Since brothers and owners, Gert and Paul Joubert were quoted in local papers as having put the farm up for sale, various views were expressed about who the farm should or should not be sold to. That debate was in respect of the Joubert brothers having stated through the media that they would not mind even selling it to Chinese buyers. Land being a central focus of our struggle for economic independence, and before that for the liberation of this country, a lot of emotions were expressed in the debates and discussions, as is also the case with the opinion piece that appeared in the Namibian Sun. Debates of this nature are encouraged and applauded to share knowledge and enlighten each. It is also in that context that the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL), through its Secretary and the Secretary for Economic Affairs denounced the sale of land to foreigners.
The land question is uppermost in the minds and hearts of those who suffered apartheid colonialism and whose land was taken from them. Land is the reason we went to war and land is the reason that we are continuing the struggling for the total emancipation of our people.
The Swapo Party Youth League maintains its stance that Farm Erindi and any other piece of land in Namibia should not be sold to foreigners, while we have so many Namibians who are still landless. Within the prescripts of the constitution and other laws, the Swapo Party Youth League expects the government to ensure that these tracts of land are acquired and shared among Namibian people, especially those from who it was taken in the first place.
While the Swapo Party Youth League welcomes debates which support or divests from its own view points, we encourage open minded and sober debate and discussion on the issue of land in general and the Farm Erindi in particular. In that context, the Swapo Party Youth League acknowledges the opinion in the Namibian Sun, authored by comrade Benedick M Louw, acting regional secretary and regional spokesperson of the //Karas SPYL. By signing off with his SPYL designations, comrade Louw gives the impression that the leadership of the SPYL has endorsed the content of his opinion. That is indeed not the case. That does not however mean that the SPYL does not agree with his views on Farm Erindi. What the SPYL takes particular issue with is the reference to China as neo-colonialists. That is a rather unfortunate and regrettable utterance.
The Africa-China Youth Leaders Forum has opened platforms where SPYL can directly engage the Chinese on any matter on
the win-win principles. China has no history of colonialism and has not colonized any country in the present. Our understanding is that China follows a path of Socialism with Chinese characteristics, following the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents and thoroughly applies the Scientific Outlook on Development.
The SPYL has sympathy with the frustrations regarding the pace at which land is being distributed and calls on Government to use applicable laws to accelerate the acquisition of land on which Namibians can live a decent and respectable life. If push comes to shove, the state must use any means necessary to recover stolen land. Thus, whilst the debates are ongoing on this issue it should be noted that our Government through the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement, is busy at work, working out a plan to make sure that the Game Farm mentioned is not sold to foreigners. We should remain hopeful. In the meantime, cadres are encouraged to exercise maximum care and not to make statements that may be confused as representing the views of the rank and file of the militant transmitting belt, the SPYL.
ISSUED BY THE SPYL DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS