Villager donates land to Dingara

Swapo parliamentarian Elifas Dingara has defended renting a farm from a villager in the Kavango East region for nothing for 25 years.

Dingara, infamously known for his proposal in 2023 to give all Namibians N$1 million, says there is nothing untoward about the farm deal.

He stands to own farm 1682 under the Gciriku Traditional Authority, measuring 2 558ha.

Dingara has been living on a farm at Kambima village for the past 13 years and owns a traditional homestead at Mayara village in the Hambukushu traditional area of the Mukwe constituency.

“I applied for a farm in Mbukushu 2012, and fumu (the chief) told me in 2012 that a farm would be given to me during that year. I was advised by him to sit next to the farm to wait for the application to be approved so I can get the farm.

“I’ve been waiting there next to the farm since 2012. I have a house. It’s not a cattle post. It’s a waiting place so I can get to the farm. Up until now, there has been no response,” he says.

“They (the Hambukushu) are not attending to the application. Imagine how much I’ve wasted. I’ve even drilled a borehole there next to the waiting place for my cattle, but the place is not mine because mine was supposed to be the farm I live next to,” he says.

Dingara says he does not understand the complaints about him acquiring land in Gciriku, because currently he does not own land.

“Why must I keep waiting? When must the development start?” he asks.

Dingara has pleaded with The Namibian not to publish this report, since it may deny him the opportunity to own the farm he applied for in 2012.

The transferor, Kassian Shipapo (67), yesterday confirmed the transaction, saying he has owned the farm for more than 35 years without developing it.

“I want to transfer it into Mr Dingara’s name so he can develop it in terms of infrastructure. He will be farming his animals for 25 years. After that, he will return it to my name. I am transferring it to him without compensation,” he said.

Shipapo will be 92 years old in 25 years.

The Kavango East Communal Land Board advertised the transfer in newspapers a week ago to allow for objections to be raised.

If no objections are submitted by tomorrow, Dingara will get the farm.

He says after 13 years of no response, he applied to the Gciriku Traditional Authority, which processed his application.

Kavango East Communal Land Board chairperson Bernardino Mbumba this week confirmed that Shipapo owns the leasehold of the farm in the Gciriku area. “If Shipapo wants to transfer the farm to someone, he is required to go to the traditional authority and explain why he is trying to do those things. The traditional authority will then decide to approve the transfer or not,” he said.

If the traditional authority is satisfied with the reasons for the transfer, it will refer to the land board’s letter.

The land board then places a notice in print media for objections.

Mbumba said if anyone is aggrieved by the transfer, they can submit their objections in writing.

“The board will then verify whether the traditional authority has followed the right procedures or not. Sometimes the land board can say no, this transfer cannot happen.

“Since it was recently advertised, the board will verify the whole process when it sits to see if there is anything it does not agree with. Then the transfer will not go through.

“It goes back to the traditional authority again,” he said.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.