Nafwu sets deadline for farm occupation

TENSION ran high at Otjiwarongo yesterday as the Namibia Farmworkers’ Union (Nafwu) set October 16 as ‘D-Day’ for “the forceful” occupation of some commercial farms in the Otjozondjupa Region.

Angry Nafwu members have identified farm Otjozongominja in the Waterberg area as the first target. They alleged the owner had “a long track record of mistreating and exploiting workers but the law fails to deal with him”.After Otjozongominja, the union has vowed to take a farm in the Outjo district where a black person was shot dead after he was apparently mistaken for a baboon.”Stop these so-called negotiations, they are not working.We are sick and tired … for how long are we going to face these hardship comrades … we have spoken enough, lets take action now,” speaker after speaker cried out to Nafwu leaders at an emotionally-charged farmworkers’ meeting.The farmworkers charged that Government’s plans to expropriate land for redistribution would turn out to be “yet another failure” like the willing-seller, willing-buyer approach.”We were told about expropriation at the beginning of the year but up to now not one single farm has been taken.What is holding it up,” one man in his mid-60s asked to loud cheers from his colleagues.The farmworkers said they had to take the law into their own hands as they had become disillusioned with the laws and those who make them.”The lawmakers have totally failed to address the plight of these vulnerable people [farmworkers].Most of them (MPs) have farms, it’s a conflict of interest for them,” Nafwu General Secretary Alfred Angula said.Angula expressed disappointment that land reform, which was supposed to be a political issue needing a political solution, had been turned into an academic exercise through which some people made money.”Books are being written, workshops and conferences are being held every day while the landless continue to suffer,” he bemoaned.”Comrades we will talk and talk until we get grey hair and our great grand children will be talking about the same thing.”The Otjiwarongo meeting also identified farm Krumhuk on the outskirts of Windhoek and another farm in the Grootfontein district as among those targeted occupation.The gathering, which was attended by close to 100 workers, then set up a committee to draw up strategies for the planned action.The committee has been tasked with mobilising farmworkers and other sympathisers throughout the region.Early this year, Nafwu threatened to resettle, by force, its members on farms from which they had been dismissed, only to be halted by Government intervention.”This time we are going to take drastic action that will shake the farms,” Angula vowed, warning any would-be doubters to dismiss the union’s threat at their own peril.They alleged the owner had “a long track record of mistreating and exploiting workers but the law fails to deal with him”.After Otjozongominja, the union has vowed to take a farm in the Outjo district where a black person was shot dead after he was apparently mistaken for a baboon.”Stop these so-called negotiations, they are not working.We are sick and tired … for how long are we going to face these hardship comrades … we have spoken enough, lets take action now,” speaker after speaker cried out to Nafwu leaders at an emotionally-charged farmworkers’ meeting.The farmworkers charged that Government’s plans to expropriate land for redistribution would turn out to be “yet another failure” like the willing-seller, willing-buyer approach.”We were told about expropriation at the beginning of the year but up to now not one single farm has been taken.What is holding it up,” one man in his mid-60s asked to loud cheers from his colleagues.The farmworkers said they had to take the law into their own hands as they had become disillusioned with the laws and those who make them.”The lawmakers have totally failed to address the plight of these vulnerable people [farmworkers].Most of them (MPs) have farms, it’s a conflict of interest for them,” Nafwu General Secretary Alfred Angula said.Angula expressed disappointment that land reform, which was supposed to be a political issue needing a political solution, had been turned into an academic exercise through which some people made money.”Books are being written, workshops and conferences are being held every day while the landless continue to suffer,” he bemoaned.”Comrades we will talk and talk until we get grey hair and our great grand children will be talking about the same thing.”The Otjiwarongo meeting also identified farm Krumhuk on the outskirts of Windhoek and another farm in the Grootfontein district as among those targeted occupation.The gathering, which was attended by close to 100 workers, then set up a committee to draw up strategies for the planned action.The committee has been tasked with mobilising farmworkers and other sympathisers throughout the region.Early this year, Nafwu threatened to resettle, by force, its members on farms from which they had been dismissed, only to be halted by Government intervention.”This time we are going to take drastic action that will shake the farms,” Angula vowed, warning any would-be doubters to dismiss the union’s threat at their own peril.