The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has called for the immediate implementation of Cabinet directives on the Affirmative Action Loan Scheme (AALS), citing delays that continue to disadvantage struggling farmers.
In a statement issued on Thursday, PDM president McHenry Venaani says despite cabinet resolutions taken earlier this year, there has been little visible progress in executing the directives aimed at reforming the scheme.
Venaani says the AALS remains a key component of Namibia’s land reform and agricultural empowerment policy, intended to help previously disadvantaged Namibians acquire and develop farmland productively.
He says the recent Cabinet decision presented an opportunity to make the scheme more accessible and sustainable for farmers facing heavy financial burdens.
“The directives issued are clear and progressive. They call for the restructuring of loans to more affordable terms, the introduction of a fair interest framework, the establishment of a mentorship and training programme to build farmer capacity and a moratorium on the sale in execution of farmland until the migration and restructuring process is complete ,” Venaani adds.
Venaani urges the ministers of finance and of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform, as well as Agribank’s leadership, to implement the directives without delay.
“Our farmers deserve certainty, fairness and swift support. Delays are not an option when livelihoods, food security and the national land reform agenda are at stake,” he says.
The AALS, introduced to address historical inequalities in land ownership, has faced criticism in recent years over high interest rates and the financial strain on emerging farmers.
