Swanu wants constitutional change on communal land 

WINDHOEK – Swanu president Tangeni Iijambo has called for the reversal of the constitution to allow ownership of communal land areas to be alienated and restored to the people, on grounds this will allow genuine control to the people as a means of black empowerment.

Iijambo made this call while briefing the media on the party’s written submissions to the Commission of Inquiry on Claims of Ancestral Land Rights and Restitution established by President Hage Geingob earlier this year.

“We propose revocation of Schedule 5 of the Constitution in so far as government ownership of communal areas is concerned – those lands must be alienated and restored to the people and in so doing yield genuine control to them as a means of black empowerment,” Iijambo told the media in Windhoek yesterday.

According to him the United Nations (UN) as a body was entrusted with direct responsibility over Namibia following the revocation of the South African mandate, in addition the governments of the “Western Five” that conceived, fabricated and dictated that the 1982 Constitutional Principles should be obligated to convene a funding conference for the purpose of restitution. 

“The hardships that black Namibians are experiencing today are occasioned and perpetuated by the protection and privileges enjoyed by the descendants of the original German and Afrikaaner settlers, hence they bear a moral, ethical and historical responsibility to make amends, if their collective conscience allows,” added Iiyambo who claimed that his party, Swanu, represented the true aspirations of the oppressed and exploited people of Namibia.

“Land has always been the central pillar of our struggle for national independence and an integral and abiding part of our political struggle going forward,” he said, adding that land constitutes the party’s battle cry “Patji Ngarikotoke” (meaning it is time to get our land back).

Iijambo says despite the party participation in the land conference, they still consider the work of the commission of inquiry as a futile exercise, given the fact that there is no legislative instrument to guide both the deliberations and ultimate restitution, hence they propose the enactment of a law to address this very pertinent issue. 

“This proposal is based on the fact that claims are being encouraged to be lodged, but the mechanisms for counter-claims clearly are not in place,” he said.

“Though we are participating in this exercise, we are cognizant of the fact that the terms of reference of the commission of inquiry were not a product of a broad consultation with all stakeholders, hence it is defective in some respects and some of the issues listed for enquiry are misplaced and irrelevant to say the least,” he added.