Questions and Comments on Land Expropriation
AS a landless pensioner born in this country, I am concerned about the propaganda, polemic and economic folly perpetrated in the guise of land expropriation or worse: 'land reform'.
I am particularly struck by the fact that many of the most
prominent advocates are those whose ancestors have never had any
land taken away from them.
Reform implies reorganisation, a new order of improvement of
what is in existence.
How dare Government representatives use this word while the
"Odendaal farms" are disintegrating and even the farms bought by
the independent State of Namibia are going to wreck and ruin? More
on that score later.
Surely a few questions will be permitted: Who are the 246 000
landless? Where do they come from and how will they be provided
with know-how and start-up finances? What happens to those who
loose their jobs in the course of expropriation? In Zimbabwe
hundreds of thousands were sacrificed to the ego of a dictator and
the land was ruined.
Hopefully potential donors have observed the economic folly of
Zimbabwe.
Here, as well as over there, it has not been possible to keep
the promises made by politicians who now employ populist methods to
gain points, particularly before an election.
It is frightening that foreigners are blamed for Zimbabwe's
downfall, which has automatically harmed the region as a whole.
Can anyone explain why we here in Namibia expropriate well-run
farms, which were tax-paying production units with large sums of
money, in order to put them on the drip of the State? At the same
time millions of hectares of undeveloped communal land lie fallow,
not to mention the disintegrating "Odendaal farms".
The President pleads for agricultural produce and
self-sufficiency.
But nothing much is happening in the areas where sufficient
water is available and where the largest unemployment problem
looms.
If knowledge and "know how" are needed, why not make use of
white experts? The hated Boers are used along the Orange River
where table grapes are profitably cultivated.
For them water is pumped out of the boundary river in spite of
the water and border question not yet having been settled.
The half-farm Westfalen (next to Uhlenhorst) was bought nine
years ago and demonstrates how taxpayers' money and investment
capital are wasted.
The Government bought this farm of approximately one thousand
hectares with seventeen thousand citrus trees for N$ 1.67 million
since the previous owner annually harvested between 40,000 and
46,000 bags of 5kg oranges each.
Mismanagement by now has 1 000 trees surviving.
Cuban comrades also played a role in this sad tale.
Anyone interested in observing the activities and the
disintegration is invited to do so by the brother-in-law of the
previous owner on the neighbouring farm.
Could one find out whether ministers and high-ranking officials
who have already acquired farms also belong to the "Affirmative
Action" farmers and how the farms that have been bought by now were
distributed? Once the genus "commercial farmer" has disappeared,
one would then also be rid of several irritating taxpayers and
producers.
Then the Farm Workers Union could be dissolved and the Minister
of Lands and Resettlement could take a rest thanks to his new
productive farming community.
How does one explain to the amazed observer from overseas the
African paradox of seeking investors on the one hand and on the
other hand deterring these same investors by passing laws about
Affirmative Action and Black Economic Empowerment? One complains
about the need for qualified people while they have been discharged
or allowed to emigrate - and the brain drain has not even been
noticed.
While hunger threatens the population of Zimbabwe, other African
countries - even Nigeria - seek the knowledge and skill of white
farmers expelled from Zimbabwe.
Who dares to offer an explanation for such economic folly? With
such behaviour it is not surprising that in world comparisons, a
number of African States will justify the metaphor of "sucking the
hind tit".
Erich Fortsch
Swakopmund
Note: Address supplied - Ed.
Reform implies reorganisation, a new order of improvement of what
is in existence.How dare Government representatives use this word
while the "Odendaal farms" are disintegrating and even the farms
bought by the independent State of Namibia are going to wreck and
ruin? More on that score later.Surely a few questions will be
permitted: Who are the 246 000 landless? Where do they come from
and how will they be provided with know-how and start-up finances?
What happens to those who loose their jobs in the course of
expropriation? In Zimbabwe hundreds of thousands were sacrificed to
the ego of a dictator and the land was ruined.Hopefully potential
donors have observed the economic folly of Zimbabwe.Here, as well
as over there, it has not been possible to keep the promises made
by politicians who now employ populist methods to gain points,
particularly before an election.It is frightening that foreigners
are blamed for Zimbabwe's downfall, which has automatically harmed
the region as a whole.Can anyone explain why we here in Namibia
expropriate well-run farms, which were tax-paying production units
with large sums of money, in order to put them on the drip of the
State? At the same time millions of hectares of undeveloped
communal land lie fallow, not to mention the disintegrating
"Odendaal farms".The President pleads for agricultural produce and
self-sufficiency.But nothing much is happening in the areas where
sufficient water is available and where the largest unemployment
problem looms.If knowledge and "know how" are needed, why not make
use of white experts? The hated Boers are used along the Orange
River where table grapes are profitably cultivated.For them water
is pumped out of the boundary river in spite of the water and
border question not yet having been settled.The half-farm Westfalen
(next to Uhlenhorst) was bought nine years ago and demonstrates how
taxpayers' money and investment capital are wasted.The Government
bought this farm of approximately one thousand hectares with
seventeen thousand citrus trees for N$ 1.67 million since the
previous owner annually harvested between 40,000 and 46,000 bags of
5kg oranges each.Mismanagement by now has 1 000 trees
surviving.Cuban comrades also played a role in this sad tale.Anyone
interested in observing the activities and the disintegration is
invited to do so by the brother-in-law of the previous owner on the
neighbouring farm.Could one find out whether ministers and
high-ranking officials who have already acquired farms also belong
to the "Affirmative Action" farmers and how the farms that have
been bought by now were distributed? Once the genus "commercial
farmer" has disappeared, one would then also be rid of several
irritating taxpayers and producers.Then the Farm Workers Union
could be dissolved and the Minister of Lands and Resettlement could
take a rest thanks to his new productive farming community.How does
one explain to the amazed observer from overseas the African
paradox of seeking investors on the one hand and on the other hand
deterring these same investors by passing laws about Affirmative
Action and Black Economic Empowerment? One complains about the need
for qualified people while they have been discharged or allowed to
emigrate - and the brain drain has not even been noticed.While
hunger threatens the population of Zimbabwe, other African
countries - even Nigeria - seek the knowledge and skill of white
farmers expelled from Zimbabwe.Who dares to offer an explanation
for such economic folly? With such behaviour it is not surprising
that in world comparisons, a number of African States will justify
the metaphor of "sucking the hind tit".Erich Fortsch
Swakopmund
Note: Address supplied - Ed.