20 farmers wait for axe to fall

AROUND 20 commercial farmers have been given notice that Government intends to expropriate their land despite a request from the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) that the criteria be clarified.

In an interview this week, newly elected NAU President Raimar von Hase told The Namibian that the union was aware of around 20 farmers who had received letters of the Government’s intention to buy their land “but the process is still in the negotiation phase”. Von Hase said some 134 farms had changed ownership and there was a need to empower the resettled people for land reform to be successful.He said expropriation was inevitable but Government needed to be more transparent in its dealings with farmers.”The majority of farmers have their farms as a means of living.The farm is their home and the home of the employees.You are not only forcing them to give up their livelihoods but also their homes.There was never a demand made to a businessman in town to give up his business,” said Von Hase.Government sent out notices stating that the farmers were “invited to make an offer to sell the property to the State and to enter into further negotiations in that regard”.It warned farmers that the matter was serious and gave them 14 days to react to the notice.Farmers are expected to name a price for their land and hope that it meets with Government approval.Von Hase said farmers were cornered because Government always under-valued their farms while they had no option to increase their price or withdraw the offer.”That makes people reluctant.I can go to the land tribunal but it costs a lot of money and it is a long drawn-out negotiation process,” he said.Another hindrance to the resettlement programme was that Government always placed a low value on the price of infrastructure at farms.Von Hase described the willing-seller, willing-buyer concept as “the best mechanism”.”We have asked for the establishment of an informal committee between the Government and the farmers to mediate an acceptable price.We are trying to concentrate much stronger on negotiation to find a common ground,” he said.Von Hase said uncertainty over expropriation had forced some farmers to halt plans for investment on their land.In the process, the national economy was negatively affected.Government has repeatedly stressed that it would stick to letter of the law in pursuing expropriation, although some sections of the ruling Swapo Party and its affiliated unions have called for land grabs.Von Hase said some 134 farms had changed ownership and there was a need to empower the resettled people for land reform to be successful.He said expropriation was inevitable but Government needed to be more transparent in its dealings with farmers.”The majority of farmers have their farms as a means of living.The farm is their home and the home of the employees.You are not only forcing them to give up their livelihoods but also their homes.There was never a demand made to a businessman in town to give up his business,” said Von Hase.Government sent out notices stating that the farmers were “invited to make an offer to sell the property to the State and to enter into further negotiations in that regard”.It warned farmers that the matter was serious and gave them 14 days to react to the notice.Farmers are expected to name a price for their land and hope that it meets with Government approval.Von Hase said farmers were cornered because Government always under-valued their farms while they had no option to increase their price or withdraw the offer.”That makes people reluctant.I can go to the land tribunal but it costs a lot of money and it is a long drawn-out negotiation process,” he said.Another hindrance to the resettlement programme was that Government always placed a low value on the price of infrastructure at farms.Von Hase described the willing-seller, willing-buyer concept as “the best mechanism”.”We have asked for the establishment of an informal committee between the Government and the farmers to mediate an acceptable price.We are trying to concentrate much stronger on negotiation to find a common ground,” he said.Von Hase said uncertainty over expropriation had forced some farmers to halt plans for investment on their land.In the process, the national economy was negatively affected.Government has repeatedly stressed that it would stick to letter of the law in pursuing expropriation, although some sections of the ruling Swapo Party and its affiliated unions have called for land grabs.