TSINTSABIS – The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has warned members of the public to stop grabbing resettlement farms in the Oshikoto region.

The ministry’s spokesperson Simon Nghipandulwa said their office has been inundated with reports of illegal land allocations, selling and occupation of farms located along the Tsumeb-Katwitwi road, about 62 kilometres north of Tsumeb.

“It has come to the attention of the ministry that certain persons, including some members of the Tsintsabis community, are involved in the illegal land dealings on the said farms – and as a result, several individuals have grabbed land illegally on the farms,” said Nghipandulwa.

He said the ministry was informed of the illegal occupations on farms Chudib-Nuut Nr. 1137, Tsintsabis Nr. 881 and Urwald Farm Nr. 1150.

“These farms are meant for the marginalised communities and former generational farmworkers, but you find people coming from nowhere just going to own plots in these farms,” said Nghipandulwa. 

He said the ministry is urging members of the public who have plots on these farms to move out before the law takes over.

“Members of the public are reminded that only the minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Calle Schlettwein has the power to allocate land on resettlement farms,” said Nghipandulwa.

Members of the public must also be vigilant and not fall victim to any illegal land dealings on these farms and should report any person who deals in illegal buying or selling of land, he said.

“Any member of the public who wishes to resettle on these farms is advised to go through the appropriate channel and to follow the set procedures,” said Nghipandulwa.

He said members of the Tsinstabis community and the public, in general, are encouraged to approach the Division of Land office in Tsumeb or any other office of the ministry in any region to obtain information on the procedures to follow to apply for a resettlement farm or land. 

- Nampa