Edward Mumbuu

Government’s resettlement programme is engulfed in a myriad of irregularities, ranging from a lack of productivity assessments before resettlement to the absence of lease agreements, rendering the entire process non-compliant with the necessary legislation, policies and guidelines laws.

The findings are captured in a compliance report compiled by the country’s top public auditor, Junias Kandjeke. The report covers the financial periods between 2018 and 2021.

It focused on Otjozondjupa, Erongo and Omaheke regions. “The evidence obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide the basis for my conclusion that the subject matter is not compliant, in all material respects, with the applicable criteria,” Kandjeke found.

An assessment of the resettlement process of farmers was performed to confirm whether activities, financial transactions and information are, in all material respects, in compliance with the authorities that govern the audited entity.

The investigation was necessitated by the need to give assurance to parliamentarians, taxpayers, previously disadvantaged Namibians and other stakeholders – whether the resettlement process is transparent and if beneficiaries are utilising the land productively.

In addition, assurance would provide insight with regard to the subject matter and its functioning during decision-making.

Since the dawn of independence, the government resettlement programme has been faced with many challenges, such as the illegal subleasing of farms, as well as a lack of farming knowledge and skills among those benefiting from the initiative.

The resettlement programme is governed by the Commercial Land Reform Act, National Resettlement Policy, resettlement programme and the resettlement criteria.

“Based on the analysis of the land reform advisory commission and the Otjozondjupa, Erongo and Omaheke regional resettlement sub-committee resolutions, the audit found that in providing the reasons for a recommendation for most suitable candidates, overriding consideration terms, such as ‘special cases’ and ‘farming in corridors’, were commonly used, which are not defined in the legislation,” Kandjeke generally established.

Findings

During the audit, it was uncovered that the deed of sale of farms, valued at N$13.8 million, purchased during the 2017-2018 financial year, was during the year not submitted for audit purposes.

“Non-submission of the valuation reports of the farms purchased as a result the accuracy and valuation of farms purchases could not be determined. Farms [were] acquired but not disclosed in the books of the fund to claim ownership,” reads a section of the report.

Through physical verification of the lessees’ existence on the farming units, the audit found that out of the 35 audited beneficiaries, 23 beneficiaries occupied the farming units without lease agreements.

“In the absence of signed lease agreements before the beneficiaries occupying the farming units might result in lease period disputes with the ministry,” the auditors flagged.

To arrest the ambiguity, it was recommended that the executive director in the land reform ministry ensure that lease agreements are provided to beneficiaries as soon as they take up the occupation of farming units.

Percy Misika, the ED at the time, replied: “The registration of leases cannot take place if the farming units are not surveyed or valued. The ministry has to survey the farming units first to determine the extent of the units and only thereafter, the valuation to determine the rental fees based on the survey diagrams for those specific farming units can be done”.

Strangely, it was found that some beneficiaries occupied the farming units from 2017 without units being surveyed or valued.

“This is a concern because the beneficiaries have been occupying this land, without any contractual agreement and without paying rent to the ministry for some years,” Kandjeke’s staff further unearthed.

More so, the operation also found that out of the 35 audited beneficiaries resettled at the farming units, land surveying was not conducted at 18 beneficiaries’ farming units.

This has negative implications as it “may benefit from the farming units without paying rent to the ministry”.

“The ministry has a plan in place to survey all the un-surveyed government-purchased farms/farming units during the 2021/2022 financial year.

“However, due to manpower and insufficient financial resources to request the assistance of private surveyors, the ministry finds it challenging to implement this plan timely,” Misika told the auditors at the time.

The auditors were unimpressed with the ministry’s excuse.

“The ministry should address this as a matter of urgency, as the farming units are allocated to beneficiaries and these beneficiaries are benefitting from these farming units without paying rent to the ministry.

“In addition, while these controls are not in place, the ministry continues to purchase commercial farms for resettlement purposes. Controls should be put in place as a matter of extreme urgency,” Kandjeke said.

- emumbuu@nepc.com.na