Where’s our money, asks Eviction Commission

A COMMISSION of inquiry set up to investigate the evictions of farmworkers in Namibia is stillborn for lack of money.

Labour Minister Marco Hausiku set up the Eviction Commission late last year, but it has not yet visited any of the commercial farms where it is supposed to investigate farmworker evictions. Helmut Fortsch, Chairman of the Agricultural Employers’ Association, said the commission was appointed to investigate the eviction of long-serving farmworkers but funds had not been forthcoming from the Labour Ministry.”It will start operating after getting the funds,” he said.Members of the Namibia Agricultural Labour Forum such as the Namibia Farmworkers Union, Namibia Agricultural Union and the Agricultural Employers’ Association are represented on the Commission.The Namibian could obtain no official comment on why the funds were not forwarded to the Eviction Commission because both Minister Hausiku and Permanent Secretary Ulitala Hiveluah were unavailable.It is believed that the Ministry was sluggish because it was waiting for the next Budget to be tabled.When it was established, Hausiku gave the commission three months to complete its work and report back to him.Two months have since gone by and the only tangible thing the commission has is its terms of reference.The commission is meant to come up with a long-term recommendation for avoiding future evictions of farmhands.The Namibia Agricultural Labour Forum operates under the chairmanship of the Labour Ministry’s Permanent Secretary.The forum met two weeks ago and is scheduled to do so again next week when issues such as minimum wages, compulsory contracts and evictions are on its agenda.Helmut Fortsch, Chairman of the Agricultural Employers’ Association, said the commission was appointed to investigate the eviction of long-serving farmworkers but funds had not been forthcoming from the Labour Ministry. “It will start operating after getting the funds,” he said. Members of the Namibia Agricultural Labour Forum such as the Namibia Farmworkers Union, Namibia Agricultural Union and the Agricultural Employers’ Association are represented on the Commission. The Namibian could obtain no official comment on why the funds were not forwarded to the Eviction Commission because both Minister Hausiku and Permanent Secretary Ulitala Hiveluah were unavailable. It is believed that the Ministry was sluggish because it was waiting for the next Budget to be tabled. When it was established, Hausiku gave the commission three months to complete its work and report back to him. Two months have since gone by and the only tangible thing the commission has is its terms of reference. The commission is meant to come up with a long-term recommendation for avoiding future evictions of farmhands. The Namibia Agricultural Labour Forum operates under the chairmanship of the Labour Ministry’s Permanent Secretary. The forum met two weeks ago and is scheduled to do so again next week when issues such as minimum wages, compulsory contracts and evictions are on its agenda.