Zebaldt Ngaruka
OHAMBO JATATE - Farmers operating illegally in the Gobabis municipal area invaded Farm Witsand in the Omaheke region on Saturday.
Farm Witsand is situated some 130 km west of Gobabis, and is one of the government-procured farms earmarked for Namibians being repatriated from Botswana. The farm has been unoccupied for four years. Videos circulating on social media show goats and sheep being offloaded at Witsand, with several people commenting behind camera that they too need land since they are not allowed to do livestock farming in towns or on municipal land. They also called agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein and Omaheke governor Pijoo Nganate to come and see them on the farm.
Gobabis constituency councillor Augustinus Tebele confirmed the incident to New Era, saying he inherited the problem from his predecessors. “It is true that some farmers moved in on Saturday. As we speak, some are still preparing to join others there.
It is a very serious matter, and the regional leadership will convene soon,” he said.
Tebele, who is the Swapo councillor for the constituency, said municipal laws do not accommodate livestock farming in towns or on municipal land, and the farmers are aware of it. “The problem here is that the concerned group of farmers were farmworkers who were evicted from farms when the owners sold them. They flocked to Gobabis, and
there are rules which prohibit them from farming here,” stated the councillor.
Tebele added that since he took over from his predecessor Phillipus Katamelo, farmers are always knocking on his door, and he tried engaging all stakeholders for amicable solutions, but his attempts proved futile. “I wrote many letters and proposals to the line ministry, but am yet to receive responses. It is getting out of hand, as drought is one of the motivations for the farm occupation,” stressed Tebele.
As a member of the National Council, he also raised this matter and directed it to minister Schlettwein, but got no response.
“We proposed that farm Yellow Bank be given to these farmers in the resettlement programme. Farmers furthermore applied on their own, but were not accepted,” he continued. The councillor also faces complaints from farmers that their animals are being stolen from kraals, which makes it more difficult for them to stay in town with their livestock. “Not only stocktheft cases are the problem, but there were likewise cases of animals being bumped by cars here. The court then ordered that the victim be compensated,” he noted.
Asked whether no other places or farms are earmarked for these farmers, Tebele said he heard of virgin lands in either the Epukiro or Otjinene constituencies. But up to now, nothing has happened.
“There was this farm Rose Bank where I personally went and observed. But there is no water, and that will be a problem for the farmers. I later heard that youth from Omitara were resettled there, and some Otjombinde farmers took their livestock there due to drought,” he continued. On the issue of political influence where the Landless People’s Movement (LPM)’s name has featured, Tebele said he is aware of it, and this party also held a demonstration with the concerned farmers in this eastern town recently. “The group approached me lately, and I told them to do things legally. But now the LPM has taken over,” said the councillor. Meanwhile, the LPM’s regional head Silvestre Daniel Binga said they are just as concerned about the plight of all farmers, irrespective of their party affiliation.
He added that the group approached the LPM for assistance, and a demonstration was then held. “This is about bread-and-butter issues, and there is no way the LPM will move away from the plight of landless Namibians. Land is what our ancestors fought for, and it’s very disturbing to see Namibians still without land after independence,” stressed Binga. He said during the protest, they were denied entry to the premises of the Omaheke Regional Council. “It is high time for the government to take the matter seriously and consider them for resettlement. One can see that they are serious farmers and have experience in farming,” he added.
New Era is reliably informed that this is not the only group which is landless in the Omaheke region. A source preferring anonymity said the marginalised San community are also roaming the Tsjaka corridors for their livestock’s grazing.
Phone calls and text messages left on minister Schlettwein’s mobile device were not responded to by the time of going to print. Recently, the Omaheke leadership refused to accept the new resettlement policy.
They rejected regional consultations for inputs on the revised resettlement criteria, calling for the policy and the agriculture minister to hear their ‘special plight’.
The stakeholders, comprising community activists; traditional, church and political leaders, cited that the policy and criteria are not relevant to the people.