Grape farmers hot under the collar

ABOUT 20 grape farmers in the South are up in arms about what they say is Government’s failure to honour promises of resettlement made in 2001.

They say they were allocated a four-hectare plot each as part of the Orange River Irrigation Project at Noordoewer, on condition that they complete a three-year training programme. In a petition handed over to Karas Governor Dawid Boois on Monday, the farmers accuse Government of contract breach, saying that they entered into a contract with Government to be resettled on the plots.They pleaded with Government to honour the promise.The farmers also claimed that they earned “next to nothing” for their produce, because a South African-based service provider enlisted by Government to fertilise land on their plots pocketed the entire profits.”In 2006 commercial farmers make huge profits, but the Government-enlisted service provider came with losses for black farmers,” they said.”We blame the Government in this matter.Government has given the projects to South Africans while Namibians are also educated.Why so?” they wanted to know.Attempts to obtain comment from the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Nickey Iyambo, proved futile.The Governor promised the farmers to forward the petition to the minister.In a petition handed over to Karas Governor Dawid Boois on Monday, the farmers accuse Government of contract breach, saying that they entered into a contract with Government to be resettled on the plots.They pleaded with Government to honour the promise.The farmers also claimed that they earned “next to nothing” for their produce, because a South African-based service provider enlisted by Government to fertilise land on their plots pocketed the entire profits.”In 2006 commercial farmers make huge profits, but the Government-enlisted service provider came with losses for black farmers,” they said.”We blame the Government in this matter.Government has given the projects to South Africans while Namibians are also educated.Why so?” they wanted to know.Attempts to obtain comment from the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Nickey Iyambo, proved futile.The Governor promised the farmers to forward the petition to the minister.