Hilma Hashange
Omukwaniilwa Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo of the Ondonga Traditional Authority has urged land board members to familiarise themselves with the history of communal land, particularly when dealing with inheritance issues.
Shuumbwa suggested to the land board that they should discuss and resolve issues regarding land inheritance and billing methods before making decisions to avoid conflicts amongst communities.
“We are not blaming the confusion on the land board when appeals are made, but we are blaming it on the government employees who think that they are experts on land, but they are instead causing more confusion to the community. You will find that some cases of communal land scrambling fall under the village headman or woman, but those sent for tribunal court do not have experience in customary law, [but they] were just nominated because they are lawyers,” he said.
Shuumbwa made these comments during a recent courtesy visit by the Oshikoto communal land board to the king’s palace in Onambango village.
The board members began their term on 1 March 2024 and will serve for three years.
One of the board’s objectives is to ensure the registration of land rights. During the 2023/2024 financial year, 1 502 communal land rights were registered, achieving 82% of their target of 1 813 registrations. This includes 1 498 customary land rights and four leasehold rights.
The board has set a target of 1 500 communal land registrations for the new financial year.
It is also anticipated that the region will register its first-ever 23 occupational land rights in the first quarter of 2024, pending approval from the agriculture minister.
Board member Wino Mwilima, who also serves as the deputy director of the lands division in Oshikoto, said they have so far issued 903 certificates to land rights owners and currently have 3 620 application forms awaiting certification in all nine districts of the Ondonga Traditional Authority.
The board’s aim is to ensure proper administration of land tenure, and that land is allocated in a systematic way and for the right purposes, she said.
The board also wants to fast-track the issuing of certificates to the rightful owners.
Mwilima noted that the board has encountered challenges, which include non-compliance by community members by expanding their Mahangu fields without proper consultation with the lands department.
She further advised landowners with bigger portions of land, endeavouring to sell, to first consult their office to follow the correct procedures. Board chairperson Paulina Uugwanga on her part said the board has agreed to work with the Ondonga Traditional Authority and make decisions for the benefit of the community.
- Hilma Hashange is an information officer at the MICT Oshikoto office.