Farmworkers impatient about land reform

THE Namibian Farmworkers’ Union (Nafwu) has once again accused Government of dragging its feet on land reform.

Addressing a press conference in Windhoek yesterday, Nafwu General Secretary Alfred Angula urged Government to review laws dealing with land reform because they had become too cumbersome. “If laws and policies are the problem, Government should enact laws that do not take too long to acquire land and at the same time those who have land should also be forthcoming with reasonable prices and not try to make a lot of money out of this process.After all, one wonders how they acquired this land,” Angula said.He called on landowners to be more co-operative, “otherwise this issue will get out of hand and we may not be able to control it in the near future”.Government announced that it would begin expropriating farms in February last year because its willing-buyer, willing-seller policy was not delivering the desired results.Although it has served a number of expropriation notices on white-owned farm across the country, the process has proved slow.Angula said the union had developed a new strategy to fight farmers who evicted or mistreated their employees.He said they were aware of many farms where workers did not receive the minimum wage and Nafwu would approach the labour court in September to challenge the owners.Meanwhile, Nafwu has announced that Angula has taken study leave for 14 months.”If laws and policies are the problem, Government should enact laws that do not take too long to acquire land and at the same time those who have land should also be forthcoming with reasonable prices and not try to make a lot of money out of this process.After all, one wonders how they acquired this land,” Angula said.He called on landowners to be more co-operative, “otherwise this issue will get out of hand and we may not be able to control it in the near future”.Government announced that it would begin expropriating farms in February last year because its willing-buyer, willing-seller policy was not delivering the desired results.Although it has served a number of expropriation notices on white-owned farm across the country, the process has proved slow.Angula said the union had developed a new strategy to fight farmers who evicted or mistreated their employees.He said they were aware of many farms where workers did not receive the minimum wage and Nafwu would approach the labour court in September to challenge the owners.Meanwhile, Nafwu has announced that Angula has taken study leave for 14 months.