Councillor of Windhoek rural constituency Piet Adams has requested the Khomas Regional Council to address the plight of generational farm workers as well as the plight of evicted people from commercial farms residing in road reserves.

Adams said this on Saturday at Groot Aub during a community meeting on actions undertaken from the day he assumed the position as the councillor of the Windhoek Rural Constituency in November 2020. 

He said Windhoek Rural is one of the hardest-hit constituencies when it comes to land delivery. 

“We don’t have communal land in our region – unlike the other regions. People are evicted left, right and centre. To address certain shortcomings in our constituency, as the constituency councillor I put forth a motion in the Regional Council on the 28th of January 2022. That motion serves to address the plight of generational farm workers and people evicted from commercial farms,” he explained. 

The councillor indicated his motion tasked the Regional Council to delegate members to seek an audience with the line ministry to address and prioritise the purchase of farms in the Khomas region as a matter of urgency.

“As we speak, I can confidently say that we relocated the evicted farmers from Tsatsaxas in the road reserve towards Dordabis to Farm !Arab,” he explained. 

Adams said the question of land has been hotly contested ever since independence. 

“A national land conference took place in 1990. This land conference recommendation includes the redistribution of commercial farmland, land tax and the reallocation of underused land. To be honest, meaningful restitution was not implemented up to date. 

“Buying of farmland at this stage is slow and inefficient. Resettlement farm beneficiaries are often not utilising farms to the maximum because they either lack the skills or capital,” he said.

More recently, a second land conference was conducted to redress past injustices.

This conference also resulted in solid recommendations that have not been implemented to date.

Another successful project the councillor talked about was water and sanitation. 

“During the time I took office, water problems were a challenge in Groot-Aub and the rural areas like Hond-Ingaan, Satanslocht, Kransneus, Bloukrans Primary School and Autabib. Today, we can proudly boast that boreholes have been drilled at Bloukrans, Hond-Ingaan, Diepsloot, Satanslocht and Kransneus in the 2021-2022 financial year. 

“For 2022/23, the following places have been identified that need water interventions: Hamis, Opdam and //Garutes. Only //Garutes – up to date – is sitting with a completed borehole,” he said.

The councillor reported in confidence that the Khomas Regional Council has resolved to fund a back-to-school programme that will assist needy learners with stationery on an annual basis. 

For this programme, some N$300 000 will be equally shared between all the 10 constituencies.

Adams said the regional council has equally resolved to fund a winter safety net programme that will also assist needy constituents with warm clothing and possible blankets.

About N$200 000 that has been budgeted will be shared equally between all 10 constituencies.

“Two vulnerable members of our constituency and particularly from Groot Aub were privileged to receive scholarships from Namcol to improve their grades. Four youth members of the Windhoek Rural Constituency benefitted from the National Youth Service scheme. Two who were selected are from Groot Aub, and they are currently attending training in Otjozondjupa region as we speak,” he added.

Adams continued that the Windhoek Rural Constituency, in conjunction with the /Khomanin Traditional Authority, roped in Agribank to explain their services. 

This intervention is expected to assist an ongoing training program in horticulture and animal husbandry, planned for different settlements. 

Meanwhile, the Windhoek Rural Constituency Office also approached the directorate responsible for the establishment of cooperatives under the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reform to explain to community members how to start with cooperatives.

“Our Living Laboratory Project with our Partners, UNDP, Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Information Communications Technology and City of Windhoek is starting to pick up momentum. As we speak, we are in the process of converting the Windhoek Rural Constituency Office to be conducive to issuing national documents to our constituents. 

“UNDP has pledged to assist with gadgets to be compatible with the services we want to offer. We plan to have a one stop shop, where we can access all government services,” said Adams.

The councillor said over a 100 toilets were constructed in the area during the time he occupied the office. 

“During the 2020/2021 financial year, 84 dry toilets were constructed at Dordabis (43), Hamis (9), Hatsamas (24) and Opdam (8) – while for 2021/2022, some 74 toilets were constructed at Stinkwater (38), Nieb (11), Dordabis (10), Bloukrans  (10 ) and Hond-Ingaan (5). 

Currently, a tender is out in the public domain for the construction of 101 rural toilets that will be built at Kransneus  (45),  /Ueros (35) and Kanobib (21),” Adams stated. 

-  ljason@nepc.com.na