Farmers union criticises Govt on policy practice

COMMUNAL farmers have added their voices to the growing number of critics of some parastatals and the apparent lacklustre implementation of Government policies.

Delegates to the Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU) congress, which ended in Windhoek last night, were greeted by placards with messages reading:NamWater:Is it water for life or water for impoverishment, Agribank:Whose bank is it?, Land Reform:Still slow, still costly, in the congress hall. In his presentation, outgoing NNFU President Moses Hamutumua said the formerly disadvantaged farmers wanted reforms in the public sector if the livelihoods of the rural poor were to be improved.The NNFU is demanding that the function of supplying water to rural farmers be returned to the Department Rural Water Supply, in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development.The union argues that the decision to commercialise NamWater was tailor-made for towns and cities but overlooked the issue of affordability for the rural poor.”Commercialisation of NamWater where it supplies [water] to rural communities has proven to be an exercise of impoverishment.Indebted communities will never be able to settle their debts,” charged Hamutumua.The NNFU also complained that the majority of its members could not afford the 10 per cent deposit required from people buying farms through Agribank’s Affirmative Action Loan Scheme [AALS].The union called on Government to, among others, expedite the introduction of land expropriation and land tax, as well as its eviction policy.”We cannot understand some events as they are unfolding.Why is Government unable to implement land tax,” the unionist asked.”[Government] policies do sound good on paper but implementation is, as far as communal farmers are concerned, always a different ball game.”Throwing its support behind Government plans to expropriate commercial farms for resettlement, the NNFU said the move would be in accordance with recommendations of the 1991 Land Conference.”Take away land from those who own excessive land.Take land away from those who do not utilise land to its full extent,” Hamutumua said.Deputy Minister of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, Isak Katali, who opened the NNFU congress, said the slow pace in implementing policies should not be seen as a sign of weakness or inability on the part of Government.He said a number of factors, such as the quest to do things in an orderly way and people’s negative attitudes towards developmental initiatives, delayed prompt implementation of policies.He acknowledged that the introduction of land tax had taken long, but said significant progress had been made with the recent release of the provisional valuation roll on farms countrywide.Turning to Government’s plan to expropriate land, the Deputy Minister stressed that no farm had been expropriated since the move was announced in February.He said that up to this stage notices of intent had been served on some farm owners to offer their property to the Government.”Though slowly we are making progress as some farmers have agreed to sell to the Government in the interest of the public, peace and stability of the country,” he said.In his presentation, outgoing NNFU President Moses Hamutumua said the formerly disadvantaged farmers wanted reforms in the public sector if the livelihoods of the rural poor were to be improved.The NNFU is demanding that the function of supplying water to rural farmers be returned to the Department Rural Water Supply, in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development.The union argues that the decision to commercialise NamWater was tailor-made for towns and cities but overlooked the issue of affordability for the rural poor.”Commercialisation of NamWater where it supplies [water] to rural communities has proven to be an exercise of impoverishment.Indebted communities will never be able to settle their debts,” charged Hamutumua.The NNFU also complained that the majority of its members could not afford the 10 per cent deposit required from people buying farms through Agribank’s Affirmative Action Loan Scheme [AALS].The union called on Government to, among others, expedite the introduction of land expropriation and land tax, as well as its eviction policy.”We cannot understand some events as they are unfolding.Why is Government unable to implement land tax,” the unionist asked.”[Government] policies do sound good on paper but implementation is, as far as communal farmers are concerned, always a different ball game.”Throwing its support behind Government plans to expropriate commercial farms for resettlement, the NNFU said the move would be in accordance with recommendations of the 1991 Land Conference.”Take away land from those who own excessive land.Take land away from those who do not utilise land to its full extent,” Hamutumua said.Deputy Minister of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, Isak Katali, who opened the NNFU congress, said the slow pace in implementing policies should not be seen as a sign of weakness or inability on the part of Government.He said a number of factors, such as the quest to do things in an orderly way and people’s negative attitudes towards developmental initiatives, delayed prompt implementation of policies.He acknowledged that the introduction of land tax had taken long, but said significant progress had been made with the recent release of the provisional valuation roll on farms countrywide.Turning to Government’s plan to expropriate land, the Deputy Minister stressed that no farm had been expropriated since the move was announced in February.He said that up to this stage notices of intent had been served on some farm owners to offer their property to the Government.”Though slowly we are making progress as some farmers have agreed to sell to the Government in the interest of the public, peace and stability of the country,” he said.