THE much-anticipated national land conference will run from 1-5 October 2018, deputy prime minister and minister of international relations and cooperation Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah announced on Friday.
The second land conference will be hosted by the Office of the Prime Minister, in conjunction with the Ministry of Land Reform and other relevant government institutions.
The conference aims to create a platform where Namibians will be accorded an opportunity to deliberate on the current land reform programme, and other emerging land-related issues.
Nandi-Ndaitwah made these remarks at the annual diplomatic corps briefing, saying the land conference was long overdue, and that positive results are expected from the event.
“The government and its people will be able to adopt policies, programmes and measures that could accelerate the land reform programme in a democratic and sustainable manner, for the benefit of all Namibians,” she noted.
The conference will be preceded by regional consultations in the 14 regions from 18-20 July to engage ordinary citizens at regional levels in deliberating over the land issues and recommend possible mitigation measures.
According to Nandi-Ndaitwah, the outcomes of those consultations will be transmitted to the land conference for further scrutiny and consideration.
The first national land conference was held in 1991, while the second one was postponed more than once in order to “give people more time for further input”.
Zimbabwean ambassador to Namibia, Rofina Chikava, congratulated and supported Namibia for taking this step, and hoped for a successful land conference.
“We wish Namibia all the best, and we hope you will use all your expertise to address the issue and find appropriate solutions,” Chikava said.
– Nampa
