Ongombo West: How it played out

* September 2003: One of the employees, Cornelia Rooinasie, kills the Wiese’s goose “by accident”.The owners demand that she pay compensation.

* September 2003: Heinz Wiese, husband of owner Hilde, shoots and kills a goat belonging to one employee, thinking it was in a restricted area. They demand payment.* October 2003: Six employees – Cornelia Rooinasie, Elias //Hoeb, Immanuel //Hoebeb, Wilfred //Hoebeb, Erik !Ganeb and Ben !Ganeb – are fired after they desert the workplace without permission.* December 2003: The employees refuse to leave the farm and allegedly threaten foreman Andreas with a knife.After waiting for two and half months, the owners get a court order to evict them.Their belongings are dumped next to the road in a riverbed as the rainy season continues.* The Namibia Farmworkers’ Union threatens to take over the farm but the Government moves fast to stop them by vowing to send in the Special Field Force.* January 2004: Nafwu gives the Wiese family 10 days to take the workers back.* When the 10 days expire, the union leaders, accompanied by around 300 people, stage a demo at Ongombo and hand over a petition to the owners demanding that they re-employ the six workers or face expropriation of the farm.* February 2004: The Labour Court orders the farm owners to reinstate the six workers.Andreas Wiese re-employed the workers for 24 hours before firing them again after consulting new lawyers.* Also in February: Former Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab announces on public television that Government plans to expropriate commercial farms in an effort to speed up land reform.* May 2004: Former President Sam Nujoma, addressing a Workers’ Day rally in Karibib, describes Andreas Wiese as a “criminal” and announces that Ongombo West will be expropriated.* July 2004: Some 19 farm owners, including Ongombo West, are served with a notice of expropriation despite a request from the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) that Government hold off until certain criteria are clarified.* September 2005: Expropriation of Ongombo West is finalised.The Wiese family gets N$3,7 million instead of the N$9 million they were asking.They demand payment.* October 2003: Six employees – Cornelia Rooinasie, Elias //Hoeb, Immanuel //Hoebeb, Wilfred //Hoebeb, Erik !Ganeb and Ben !Ganeb – are fired after they desert the workplace without permission.* December 2003: The employees refuse to leave the farm and allegedly threaten foreman Andreas with a knife.After waiting for two and half months, the owners get a court order to evict them.Their belongings are dumped next to the road in a riverbed as the rainy season continues.* The Namibia Farmworkers’ Union threatens to take over the farm but the Government moves fast to stop them by vowing to send in the Special Field Force.* January 2004: Nafwu gives the Wiese family 10 days to take the workers back.* When the 10 days expire, the union leaders, accompanied by around 300 people, stage a demo at Ongombo and hand over a petition to the owners demanding that they re-employ the six workers or face expropriation of the farm.* February 2004: The Labour Court orders the farm owners to reinstate the six workers.Andreas Wiese re-employed the workers for 24 hours before firing them again after consulting new lawyers.* Also in February: Former Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab announces on public television that Government plans to expropriate commercial farms in an effort to speed up land reform.* May 2004: Former President Sam Nujoma, addressing a Workers’ Day rally in Karibib, describes Andreas Wiese as a “criminal” and announces that Ongombo West will be expropriated.* July 2004: Some 19 farm owners, including Ongombo West, are served with a notice of expropriation despite a request from the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) that Government hold off until certain criteria are clarified.* September 2005: Expropriation of Ongombo West is finalised.The Wiese family gets N$3,7 million instead of the N$9 million they were asking.