Cabinet to take interim action on farm evictions

CABINET has announced that it is drawing up an interim policy on the dumping of workers.

Cabinet announced last week that it had resolved that while Government was rightly and legally emphasising orderly land reform and resettlement programmes, it should, as a matter of urgency and absolute necessity, introduce a Temporary Intervention Policy of Eviction – pending long-term solutions to the problem. The policy would be aimed at farm labourers and their dependents and would take into account their length of service on the farm.”Depending on these and other considerations, the policy should prohibit outright evictions in no uncertain terms,” said a statement issued by Information Minister Nangolo Mbumba.Both the Namibia Farmworkers Union (NFU) and the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) have welcomed the Cabinet move.Last year, Labour Minister Marco Hausiku set up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate recent evictions but it failed to get off the ground because of a lack of funding.Chairman of the Agricultural Employers’ Association, Helmut Foertsch, said the commission had been appointed to investigate the eviction of long-serving farmworkers but funds had not been forthcoming from the Ministry of Labour.Members of the Namibia Agricultural Labour Forum, such as the Namibia Farmworkers Union and the Namibia Agricultural Union and the Agricultural Employers’ Association, are represented on the commission.It is believed that the Ministry had been sluggish because it had no funds available and was waiting for the tabling of the next Budget.When it was established, Hausiku gave the commission three months to complete its work and to report back to him.Two months have elapsed and so far the commission has only received its Terms of Reference.It is supposed to propose a long-term solution to avoid the eviction of farmworkers.The policy would be aimed at farm labourers and their dependents and would take into account their length of service on the farm. “Depending on these and other considerations, the policy should prohibit outright evictions in no uncertain terms,” said a statement issued by Information Minister Nangolo Mbumba. Both the Namibia Farmworkers Union (NFU) and the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) have welcomed the Cabinet move. Last year, Labour Minister Marco Hausiku set up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate recent evictions but it failed to get off the ground because of a lack of funding. Chairman of the Agricultural Employers’ Association, Helmut Foertsch, said the commission had been appointed to investigate the eviction of long-serving farmworkers but funds had not been forthcoming from the Ministry of Labour. Members of the Namibia Agricultural Labour Forum, such as the Namibia Farmworkers Union and the Namibia Agricultural Union and the Agricultural Employers’ Association, are represented on the commission. It is believed that the Ministry had been sluggish because it had no funds available and was waiting for the tabling of the next Budget. When it was established, Hausiku gave the commission three months to complete its work and to report back to him. Two months have elapsed and so far the commission has only received its Terms of Reference. It is supposed to propose a long-term solution to avoid the eviction of farmworkers.