I hereby on my own behalf submit the objection as per abovementioned subject. As a neighbour to the aforesaid land applied for by the office of the Vice President, I am submitting this objection as descendant of landless, land dispossessed people and a generational farm worker child of Namibia.
There is an international accepted philosophical expression that says “land does not grow but the population does”, therefore, we must guard against the principles of the Berlin conference of 1884-5 where Africa was divided as piece meal for imperialists to make Africa as settlement grounds for over-population and make it the colonial and exploitation continent for the 1st world.
On 21 March 1990, when Namibia gained independence it abolished all apartheid laws that promoted segregation and Bantustan such as Hereroland, Damaraland, Owamboland, Odendaal Plan, etc. Therefore, any project that provides opportunity for segregation of a particular group, tribe or ethnicity must be condemned and it must not see the light of day under all bodies established by the provisions of the Namibian constitution as our principles document guiding anybody in Namibia.
For the Omaheke Regional Land Board to allocate land only for a specific tribe, group or ethnicity is contravention of the Namibian constitution provisions and it contradicts the policy of national reconciliation and the spirit of inclusivity and integration.
Allocating such piece of land to one tribe will create precedents, which is “an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances”. Ironically this application is promoting, inviting and encouraging Ovambanderu, Ovaherero, Damara-Nama, Owambo, Kavango and etc. to apply for pieces of land for some projects similar or different and it will be very difficult to say no as the trend has been set through the Omurambawambiombapa San community project of the Office of the Vice-President. This will allow and give power of exclusive right of such land to belong only to that tribe for that purpose only and is tantamount to challenging the sovereignty of the Republic of Namibia and other tribes will not have access to such land and they can be denied accessibility based on ethnicity as the land was allocated is such a manner. The Office of the Vice-President must not be the one promoting tribalism, grouping and ethnicity, it must be the one that promotes inclusivity and integration of all marginalized groups into the rest of other Namibians as their support and mentoring bases. Creating schools, clinics, shops, roads, only for San people is a very dangerous situation promoted by the executive arm of our very own government.
Reasons for objection
– The application is promoting segregation of tribes and ethnicity in Namibia and is a creation of Bantustan – in short is a promotion of tribalism.
– The application is in line with divide and rule of the San community from other tribes and creates their own small republic with services and opportunities only for San people but created with National Treasury.
– It will promote other tribes to follow suit, which is something the Omaheke regional land board must guard against.
– The application is in contravention of the Nature Conservation Act 5 of 1996 and Communal Land Act.
– The project covers two constituencies in reality as per the size applied for of 3 0840 hectares but on the notice it talks about only one constituency and this gives doubt to me what to challenge and not to challenge as the notice or the application is not clear (the truth is hidden).
– There was no proper consultation with neighbouring farmers and residents of the aforementioned land in question. Bringing unspecified game to communal areas will promote the breeding of predators which is a threat to our organized farming in close proximity of the land in question – thus we did not give any consent for such creation.
-The size of the land of 30 840 hectares for 99 for San projects is too big for one tribe only that also have access to other communal areas and this will give them dual ownership of land as they will also have the right to belong to other parts of Namibia and not only confined to those land applied on their behalf.
– Some part of land allocated had been already earmarked by farmers and residents before the communal land act in 2003 and they were challenged by lack of water to start farming there and their absence does not mean the land is empty and it must be given to some groups at their expense.
Recommendations
– That the application be removed from the table as it prejudices the landless dispossessed and emerging farmers of their opportunity to own small farming units in that area.
– The applicant made omission by not including Otjombinde constituency in the notice while the land applied for cut across both constituencies and therefore it must be removed from the discussion now and in the future as no truth has been told to the board by the applicant.
– The said land should be developed through small farming units and be distributed to the landless and land dispossessed Namibians who have earmarked those areas prior to this application but failed to settle due to lack of water, roads and other infrastructure to serve as pull factors to attract farmers at Omurambawambiombapa.
– The San community be integrated with the rest of the Namibians and be developed there with the rest of the citizens.
– No land or republic must be created for a tribe only within the borders of the Republic of Namibia.
– The Epukiro conservancy be created or formed to look after all nature conservation matters rather than giving one tribe an opportunity over other Namibians to have game farming preferences.
– The 30 840-hectares must not be given to one tribe only to run their affairs while they have access to settle in other parts of Namibia, therefore those hectares must belong to all Namibians especially the neighbouring young people who want to start farming but have no access to suitable and fertile land like the one at Omurambawambiombapa.