Dordabis residents on warpath over land

TIA-ZIA //GAROES, ENOKE KAUMBA and SHELLEYGAN PETERSENDORDABIS residents have threatened war if the government fails to meet their demands listed in a petition they handed over last week, which land reform minister Calle Schlettwein said he had not received as of yesterday.

This is despite Windhoek rural constituency councillor Piet Adams confirming to The Namibian that he presented the petition to the minister’s office.

Dordabis residents staged a demonstration last week over their landlessness and to demand an improvement in their living conditions.

Activist Albertus Rooi, who handed over the petition, said it was their final communication to the government before they resort to extreme measures.

One resident, Maria
//Khaibes (49), showed The Namibian the two-bedroomed shack in which she lives with 39 relatives, 10 of whom are children.

John Pieters (46), a health assistant at the Dordabis clinic said yesterday the petition was written because there is not enough land for the growing community.

He said the situation was worsened by neighbouring farm owners who dump their retired workers at Dordabis.

“The workers are dumped here after a lifetime working on the farms,” he complained.

Pieters added that because of the shortage of land, their livestock often strays into private farms to graze and the farm owners report this to the police and the livestock owners are fined anything from N$50 upwards per animal.

One of farmers in the area, Rene Krafft, yesterday said the settlement residents had spurned an offer to collect wood on his farm, and labelled them lazy.

“I offered them to come and cut wood on our land which I would deliver to them but they said no, wanting to be paid for doing it,” he said.

Community activist Benedictus Bock (31) said because of landlessness, there are no means to create job opportunities in the settlement, leaving the youth to turn to alcohol abuse and crime.

Bock said some community members, many of whom are experienced in crop production and animal husbandry, had even gone to work on nearby farms for low pay.

“We are requesting for the land so that we use the agricultural skills we have to make a living for ourselves. We are not lazy or unwilling, we just need the opportunity to make a living for ourselves,” he added.

Elizabeth Kooper (64) said the land shortage was so serious that when a community member dies, they bury them in a graveyard situated on private property.

She said they are required to pay a N$600 fee and clean up the whole cemetery before they can bury their loved ones. After burial, they are not allowed to visit the grave.

Kooper claimed the residents do not occupy all the government land.

“We are living on probably six hectares. We are like pigs forced into a small cage. We live on top of each other here, and if death comes to this town, it would wiped us all out,” she said.

She added that because they have no money for electricity, they are forced to go into private farms to fetch firewood, but if they are caught they are fined for trespassing or imprisoned.

“It is painful that the same ministers that pass Dordabis every time they drive to the airport do not know where Dordabis is located, or do not acknowledge its existence,”

Krafft denied allegations that residents have to pay N$600 and clean the area before they can bury their loved ones.

“The previous farmers closed the cemetery but my father reopened it. At first, they used to clean the area to be able to bury their people. But later we decided that they should only pay N$600, [without having to clean the cemetry]” he explained.

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