German MPs talk land reform

BILATERAL relations between Germany and Namibia remain excellent and Namibia’s development path and democratic structures are well on track, a group of visiting parliamentarians said after a four-day visit to Namibia.

The six members of the Bundestag (federal parliament) in Berlin however noted that Namibia’s land reform was a matter of great interest for them, since they were members of the parliamentary standing committee on economic co-operation. According to Hartwig Fischer, the leader of the delegation who represented the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), talks were held with President Hifikepunye Pohamba, the National Planning Commission, the Ministry of Lands, opposition parties and civil society representatives.A discussion also took place with leaders of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU).”A large part of our discussion with Deputy Lands Minister Isack Katali centred around Zimbabwe and the land question there,” Hartwig Fischer told The Namibian.”Since Germany and Namibia have special relations and are partner countries, we talked openly and frankly, as partners do,” Fischer added.They discussed with Katali on the remarks he made in Zimbabwe in June this year, where he reportedly said Namibia could learn from the successes of the land reform there.”It can scare off foreign investments and President Pohamba told us Namibia wanted more foreign investment, also from Germany.We see Namibia as a pillar of stabilisation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), ” the German MP said.Asked about the Herero reparations claim, Fischer diplomatically said that stronger bilateral cooperation to benefit all Namibians was the best answer to these claims.Germany has spent some 500 million euros (approximately (N$4 billion) on development aid in Namibia since Independence.Over the weekend, the MPs met with their Namibian counterparts from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economics.and visited a micro-lending project supported by German development agencies in the Oshakati and Ondangwa area and projects to combat HIV-AIDS.They returned to Germany on Sunday.According to Hartwig Fischer, the leader of the delegation who represented the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), talks were held with President Hifikepunye Pohamba, the National Planning Commission, the Ministry of Lands, opposition parties and civil society representatives.A discussion also took place with leaders of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU).”A large part of our discussion with Deputy Lands Minister Isack Katali centred around Zimbabwe and the land question there,” Hartwig Fischer told The Namibian.”Since Germany and Namibia have special relations and are partner countries, we talked openly and frankly, as partners do,” Fischer added.They discussed with Katali on the remarks he made in Zimbabwe in June this year, where he reportedly said Namibia could learn from the successes of the land reform there.”It can scare off foreign investments and President Pohamba told us Namibia wanted more foreign investment, also from Germany.We see Namibia as a pillar of stabilisation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), ” the German MP said.Asked about the Herero reparations claim, Fischer diplomatically said that stronger bilateral cooperation to benefit all Namibians was the best answer to these claims.Germany has spent some 500 million euros (approximately (N$4 billion) on development aid in Namibia since Independence.Over the weekend, the MPs met with their Namibian counterparts from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economics.and visited a micro-lending project supported by German development agencies in the Oshakati and Ondangwa area and projects to combat HIV-AIDS.They returned to Germany on Sunday.