By Mbatjiua Ngavirue WINDHOEK The Defence Force farming operations were a contentious issue during parliament’s review of the Ministry of Defence’s 2004/2005 expenditures last week. The military operates 10 farms in the Mangetti Block and another at Otavi. McHenry Venaani of the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts noted with disapproval that the trade accounts of the farms ran a deficit for several years. Acting Financial Adviser to the ministry, Wilhelmine Shivute, responded that the financial position of the farms had considerably improved, with the trade account now showing a credit of N$1.3 million. She further responded to a question from committee member Henk Mudge (RP) that the farms are in fact making money. “If you have 10 farms in the Mangetti I’m not surprised you are making money,” Mudge sarcastically remarked. Mudge was still not satisfied and wanted to know why the Defence Force is in the farming business in the first place. According to Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, Petrus Shivute, the armed forces started operating farms so that the military can eventually become “self-sustaining”. If this is the objective of the ministry, why does it then sell the produce of the farms on the open market, Reggie Diergaardt (Swapo) wanted to know. Shivute tried to explain that the Defence Force farms needed to build up their stock farms and production capacity before limiting themselves to producing for the force. Mudge darkly hinted that the government should first consider the Defence Force farms for expropriation and distribution to landless farmers, before looking at other farms. “This is a political issue, and I suggest we should take it up on the floor of the house,” committee chairperson Johann de Waal recommended.