GOBABIS – Omaheke region on Thursday 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, leaders, church leaders and political leaders, cited that the policy and criteria are not relevant to the people.

 The stakeholders opposed the main target groups that are to benefit from the newly drafted policy, adding that the criteria speak of applicants that fall under the first category which is the low economic value model. The groups to benefit from this group according to the policy will be previously marginalised, ex-soldiers, war veterans and displaced persons, among others.

 Ignasius Kariseb, the Omaheke regional council chairperson, indicated that the policy is already approved by  Cabinet and its contents are “not talking” to his region.

 “The criteria are not addressing the needs and plea of the region. We decided that we will not go ahead with the meeting to discuss the criteria because they are not talking about the needs of our people, we are demanding with one voice to meet the minister,” he said.

The concerned stakeholders also want clarity on terminologies used, especially concerning the displaced community, because according to them Omaheke is one of the regions with more of the displaced people who were dispossessed of their land by the then colonisers and they want that group to get special treatment as they need more land.

 Meanwhile, Omaheke’s chief regional officer Pecka Semba shared similar sentiments, and said they agreed to not discuss the criteria after reaching a consensus in the meeting in Gobabis, citing that the resettlement criteria are sensitive.

 “We are looking forward to seeing the minister or high-ranking officials from the ministry, so that we discuss this issue because here we are talking about land and land is not a light issue, it was indeed a very hot meeting and we are going to pursue other avenues of the resolution that was taken,” Semba said.

 - Nampa