President again warns white ‘racist’ farmers

MINORITY racist white commercial farmers trying to distort the facts on Namibia’s land reform programme to the outside world, will face far reaching consequences, President Sam Nujoma warned last night.

Addressing the nation on national television, Nujoma said the land question was sensitive and, if not handled carefully and maturely, will have far reaching economic and political consequences. Reacting to a recent meeting of a group of white farmers who vowed to fight the unlawful expropriation of farms, Nujoma said expropriation will go ahead “in the public interest” and in line with relevant laws and procedures.Describing national reconciliation as a “two-way street”, Nujoma said it was supposed to heal the wounds of the past and unite Namibians.”Although my Government extended a hand of friendship the white landowners, some have continued to abuse our policy of national reconciliation and mistreat their farm workers.I would like to warn the minority racist commercial farmers that any farm owner who illegally evicts farm workers is considered a criminal and will feel the full wrath of the laws of the Republic of Namibia,” he said.A small clique of defiant white farmers met at Gobabis and agreed to pool resources to prevent the State from dealing with individuals.They vowed to “fight or go.We will not lie down or crawl”.”We will fight for what our ancestors gave us so that we leave it for our children,” said George Friedrich, one of the conveners of the meeting.Friedrich said there was a perception that Swapo won the fight for Namibia’s Independence and that the whites were defeated militarily.”The whites in this country and in South Africa were never tired of war.The whites in this country were asked by political parties in 1978 to join the interim government,” he said, adding that anyone giving credit to Swapo for winning the war was “siende blind en horende doof” (blind while having eyes and deaf while having ears).Nujoma said the Government will continue with expropriation and will pay the affected land-owners just compensation, as determined by the official valuators.Reacting to a recent meeting of a group of white farmers who vowed to fight the unlawful expropriation of farms, Nujoma said expropriation will go ahead “in the public interest” and in line with relevant laws and procedures.Describing national reconciliation as a “two-way street”, Nujoma said it was supposed to heal the wounds of the past and unite Namibians.”Although my Government extended a hand of friendship the white landowners, some have continued to abuse our policy of national reconciliation and mistreat their farm workers.I would like to warn the minority racist commercial farmers that any farm owner who illegally evicts farm workers is considered a criminal and will feel the full wrath of the laws of the Republic of Namibia,” he said.A small clique of defiant white farmers met at Gobabis and agreed to pool resources to prevent the State from dealing with individuals.They vowed to “fight or go.We will not lie down or crawl”.”We will fight for what our ancestors gave us so that we leave it for our children,” said George Friedrich, one of the conveners of the meeting.Friedrich said there was a perception that Swapo won the fight for Namibia’s Independence and that the whites were defeated militarily.”The whites in this country and in South Africa were never tired of war.The whites in this country were asked by political parties in 1978 to join the interim government,” he said, adding that anyone giving credit to Swapo for winning the war was “siende blind en horende doof” (blind while having eyes and deaf while having ears).Nujoma said the Government will continue with expropriation and will pay the affected land-owners just compensation, as determined by the official valuators.