Petronella Sibeene
30 August 2007
Windhoek — Small stock farmers in southern Namibia fear losing their animals due to lack of water as most earth dams have run dry.
National chairperson of the Southern Namibia Farmers' Union (SNAFU), Johannes Jansen, yesterday told New Era that most farmers in the Hardap and Karas regions heavily depend on earth dams for water but given the low rainfall received this year, most of the dams have dried up.
He said the few that still have water are likely to dry up in the course of September. He estimated the number of animals at risk at 20000. Jansen called on the Government to be more proactive in attending to the drought situation in these regions.
"The Government should at least identify areas with water and grazing fields so that those in dire need can be moved as soon as possible," he said. Unlike in the past, most small stock survived the severe cold weather during the winter period but now farmers face another threat of losing their animals to lack of water.
"We are worried about our regions," Jansen reiterated.
Last week, the union held its fifth congress under the theme "Organise Agriculture - the vehicle for change and progress." Held in Gibeon, the congress that was attended by more than 80 delegates, confirmed that the southern regions were prone to drought and that actually the situation has already adversely affected farmers.
The congress resolved that the Government speed up the drought assessment process with a view to declaring certain areas as needing urgent attention. Jansen said the congress attributed the status quo to poor rural water supply.
The poor state of infrastructure mainly due to inadequate budget allocations on the part of the Government has led to lack of proper water supply systems in rural Namibia.
According to Jansen, "The congress resolved to call on the Government to review its service delivery and provide communities with durable infrastructure." Governor of the Hardap Region, Katrina Hanse-Himaru, said two weeks ago the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development dispatched a team to the region to assess the drought situation.
A report was drawn up but the governor could not give details indicating that the report was not in her possession. The union also expressed support for the permit system for stock saying it would help reduce the high cases of stock theft and ensure product traceability.
The union urged the responsible ministry to take veterinary services closer to the communities to allow easy and regular access to issuing of veterinary permits. Following its mandate of ensuring change and progress in the agriculture sector, the union also expressed concern over the resettlement programme in the country.
According to Jansen, the resettlement process takes time and as a result the would-be beneficiaries are losing confidence in the programme. The congress deplored the attitudes of some of the beneficiaries who have failed to utilise the acquired property for the purpose intended by the Government.
Some experts have expressed concern about newly resettled farmers, saying most of them are thrown in at the deep end without any knowledge of farming including repairing farm equipment such as water pumps and windmills. Jansen says these challenges are due to the Government's failure to come up with clear guidelines on the resettlement process.
He said the union is ready to work with the Government as a partner in monitoring resettled farmers and identifying problems before they become unmanageable.
"It was resolved that the selection criteria be reviewed and the programme should be audited to check the national impact so far," Jansen said. A post-resettlement support package should also be designed to assist farmers to overcome communal farming legacies, he added. Farmers who abuse the privilege of getting private land should be identified and be reminded of the Government's desire, he stated.
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