Emerging farmers’ group calls for land grab

A NEW organisation of emerging commercial farmers has called for a “nationwide land grab” of farms owned by German nationals, charging that Germans had “robbed” Namibians of their land.

In reaction to a court case last week, in which three German nationals claimed that the procedures for expropriating their farms were not followed correctly, the Namibia Emerging Farmers’ Association (Nefa) said it was “condemning those whites that would like to take Government to court” as Government had the right to expropriate farms. “Nefa is calling for a nationwide land grape (sic) from German nationals,” the organisation said in a statement at the end of last week.Nokokure Tjizera, Executive Director of Nefa, said the three Germans “never came with land from Germany,” neither would Namibians own land in Germany.”When the Germans killed and robbed the Namibians of their lands, no compensation was given to Namibian nationals by the German government,” Tjizera said in the statement.”Why should the Namibian Government compensate those (German) foreigners who have land in a foreign country?” Tjizera asked.The Namibian Government had the right to expropriate commercial farmland from whites, the statement said.The German government should know it had obligations towards the Namibian people, the Nefa statement added.”They (Germans) have raped, killed and robbed the Namibian nation of their valuable commodity, which is land.”According to the statement, Nefa wants the German government and German nationals to give back the land “to its original owners, the Namibian people” and pay them compensation.In the same breath, Nefa said it welcomed German investment in Namibia, provided the investment was genuine and that German nationals knew they “must compensate Namibians for the land they robbed.””Nefa is calling for a nationwide land grape (sic) from German nationals,” the organisation said in a statement at the end of last week.Nokokure Tjizera, Executive Director of Nefa, said the three Germans “never came with land from Germany,” neither would Namibians own land in Germany.”When the Germans killed and robbed the Namibians of their lands, no compensation was given to Namibian nationals by the German government,” Tjizera said in the statement.”Why should the Namibian Government compensate those (German) foreigners who have land in a foreign country?” Tjizera asked.The Namibian Government had the right to expropriate commercial farmland from whites, the statement said.The German government should know it had obligations towards the Namibian people, the Nefa statement added.”They (Germans) have raped, killed and robbed the Namibian nation of their valuable commodity, which is land.”According to the statement, Nefa wants the German government and German nationals to give back the land “to its original owners, the Namibian people” and pay them compensation.In the same breath, Nefa said it welcomed German investment in Namibia, provided the investment was genuine and that German nationals knew they “must compensate Namibians for the land they robbed.”