Land Issue: Solve It, Don’t Inflame It

THIS week’s announcement by the Prime Minister that Government had decided to expropriate commercial farms in order to speed up land reform has prompted mixed reactions.

While Theo-Ben Gurirab was at pains to point out that the decision to expropriate would not supplant the willing-seller, willing-buyer policy pursued thus far, and gave assurances that expropriation would be accompanied by compensation, much will depend on the way in which this new policy direction is implemented. Land redistribution, or land reform as it is also known, is undoubtedly a burning priority in Namibia where, according to Government, an estimated 240 000 people are awaiting resettlement.But it is also a highly volatile issue, which, if wrongly handled by stakeholders, could set the country alight.Speculation is rife as to why Government chose this time to make its announcement.Early reaction to Gurirab’s statement included charges by the opposition parties that the announcement was nothing more than an electioneering ploy.Whether it is remains to be seen, but it will most certainly be a popular decision with the majority of people of this country.Other sources, such as the Legal Assistance Centre, believe that Government did not explore all willing-seller, willing-buyer avenues before introducing the expropriation concept, a word that in any case sets nerves on edge.It particularly affects the farming community which is at the heart of the issue, and to a lesser extent the international community, vigilant lest a Zimbabwe-type situation come about in Namibia.If Government is truly concerned about the plight of the landless, then it would ensure that resettlement was occurring in a transparent manner, and not benefiting the elites rather than those who really need access to the land.The number of those requiring land is of course also subject to question.If one in seven of our population still need land; and about 30 000 have already been resettled, also going on Government figures, then we need to have those figures statistically broken down so that we can know where all applicants are being screened to establish whether they are really in need.We also fail to understand why Government appears to have done an about-turn on the expropriation of foreign landowners.Government can surely not give in to the fire-and-brimstone threats of the unions, even though the farm evictions are cause for concern.And if this is an election ploy, as the opposition maintains, then it could be an expensive one for Government.Give land to the landless, by all means, but do it in a manner that is fair to all.Let us not have our precious country ravaged by ill-thought-out policies that are not properly implemented, and exacerbate, rather than advance, the land reform process.IMPORTANCE OF THE JUDICIARY Attacks on Judge Elton Hoff’s ruling that 13 Caprivi treason suspects were illegally brought to Namibia from Botswana and Zambia miss the point.It is not about Judge Hoff being “unpatriotic”, a saboteur of peace or unaware that judges’ salary comes from Government coffers.Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism Petrus Ilonga and the ruling party’s Youth League leader Paulus Kapia this week condemned the Judge personally and his decision, arguing that he should not have ordered their release.Ilonga accused the judge of hating Swapo.Kapia said he was not following the feelings of the majority of the population, by implication Swapo.They forget that Namibia is a constitutional state that provides for the division of powers among the Executive or Cabinet, the judiciary and the legislature.Judges are there to apply the law, not to satisfy the whims of the ruling party or a popular majority.One has to appreciate that the majority is not always right.It is worth remember a warning that the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Training and Employment Creation, Hadino Hishongwa, once issued to fellow lawmakers in the National Assembly, to refrain from making laws with only one person or a select group in mind.The reason for Hishongwa’s cautionary statement was simple: tables do turn.Thus, the law must aim at protecting each and every citizen individually and all of us collectively.Imagine where we would end up if courts were to be guided by so-called majority feelings or sentiment?Land redistribution, or land reform as it is also known, is undoubtedly a burning priority in Namibia where, according to Government, an estimated 240 000 people are awaiting resettlement. But it is also a highly volatile issue, which, if wrongly handled by stakeholders, could set the country alight. Speculation is rife as to why Government chose this time to make its announcement. Early reaction to Gurirab’s statement included charges by the opposition parties that the announcement was nothing more than an electioneering ploy. Whether it is remains to be seen, but it will most certainly be a popular decision with the majority of people of this country. Other sources, such as the Legal Assistance Centre, believe that Government did not explore all willing-seller, willing-buyer avenues before introducing the expropriation concept, a word that in any case sets nerves on edge. It particularly affects the farming community which is at the heart of the issue, and to a lesser extent the international community, vigilant lest a Zimbabwe-type situation come about in Namibia. If Government is truly concerned about the plight of the landless, then it would ensure that resettlement was occurring in a transparent manner, and not benefiting the elites rather than those who really need access to the land. The number of those requiring land is of course also subject to question. If one in seven of our population still need land; and about 30 000 have already been resettled, also going on Government figures, then we need to have those figures statistically broken down so that we can know where all applicants are being screened to establish whether they are really in need. We also fail to understand why Government appears to have done an about-turn on the expropriation of foreign landowners. Government can surely not give in to the fire-and-brimstone threats of the unions, even though the farm evictions are cause for concern. And if this is an election ploy, as the opposition maintains, then it could be an expensive one for Government. Give land to the landless, by all means, but do it in a manner that is fair to all. Let us not have our precious country ravaged by ill-thought-out policies that are not properly implemented, and exacerbate, rather than advance, the land reform process.IMPORTANCE OF THE JUDICIARY Attacks on Judge Elton Hoff’s ruling that 13 Caprivi treason suspects were illegally brought to Namibia from Botswana and Zambia miss the point. It is not about Judge Hoff being “unpatriotic”, a saboteur of peace or unaware that judges’ salary comes from Government coffers. Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism Petrus Ilonga and the ruling party’s Youth League leader Paulus Kapia this week condemned the Judge personally and his decision, arguing that he should not have ordered their release. Ilonga accused the judge of hating Swapo. Kapia said he was not following the feelings of the majority of the population, by implication Swapo. They forget that Namibia is a constitutional state that provides for the division of powers among the Executive or Cabinet, the judiciary and the legislature. Judges are there to apply the law, not to satisfy the whims of the ruling party or a popular majority. One has to appreciate that the majority is not always right. It is worth remember a warning that the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Training and Employment Creation, Hadino Hishongwa, once issued to fellow lawmakers in the National Assembly, to refrain from making laws with only one person or a select group in mind. The reason for Hishongwa’s cautionary statement was simple: tables do turn. Thus, the law must aim at protecting each and every citizen individually and all of us collectively. Imagine where we would end up if courts were to be guided by so-called majority feelings or se
ntiment?