The government's policy on land redistribution and resettlement farms has come under scrutiny from time to time.
There is no doubt that there are very productive, successful resettlement farms. But if there is a case study of a resettlement farm that has been a complete disaster and a waste of productive land, it is Voigtsgrund.
Albert Voigts, a founding member of the Wecke & Voigts trading firm, acquired the farm - which straddles the main road between Mariental and Maltaöhe in 1906, and established one of the country's most productive agricultural enterprises on Voigtsgrund.
The main farming complex, consisting of a magnificent residence built by an Italian master builder, six guest rooms, horse stables and a stock kraal, all built from local stone, was established south of the road.
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Voigtsgrund was the first farm to receive karakul sheep when they were imported into the country in 1908.
On the north-western portion of the farm, which Voigts named Oberfeld, he constructed a dam in the course of the Tsub River, using oxen and large dam excavation shovels.
Completed in 1916, the dam covered 200 hectares - the largest privately owned dam in the country.
Water flowed along a 3.5-km-long canal by means of gravity to a fertile lower-lying area where lucern, maize and fodder grass, as well as vegetables and fruit, were cultivated. Large herds of cattle were reared for meat in a shed equipped with feeding and water troughs at Oberhof.
The dam wall burst during the 1934 flood of the Tsub River, causing significant damage downstream. It was rebuilt and completed two years later.
Voigts died in 1938, and in accordance with his last will and testament, Voigtsgrund had to remain in the Voigts family's possession for three generations.
The heirs had divergent interests after the expiry of the three-generation stipulation, and an 11 000-hectare portion of the farm was bought by the second-tier Administration for Coloureds in March 1987.
On independence in 1990, Voigtsgrund became government property and was one of the first resettlement farms in the country.
With little government support, the new settlers relied mainly on fishing at the dam and keeping small numbers of livestock. Over the years, there has been wholesale plundering of whatever building material was available at Voigtsgrund.
An inhabitant told Spotlighting Namibia that one of the plunderers regularly came from Mariental, while some neighbouring farm owners have also been implicated.
First to disappear were the corrugated iron roofing and other valuable materials of the main farming complex.
During a visit to Voigtsgrund earlier this year, Spotlighting Namibia also witnessed that the roofing of the large cattle shed at Oberfeld was also being plundered.
More recently, the walls of the primary residence and surrounding buildings were being destroyed to extract whatever iron and metal could still be found.
Once a productive and prosperous farming enterprise, Voigtsgrund has become a symbol of decay and wasted opportunities.
Instead of putting the farm's excellent infrastructure to good use, it was abandoned and forgotten. Voigtsgrund could also be a disaster waiting to happen if the dam wall bursts again, as it has not been inspected for many years.
A looting continua
The looting at farm Voigtsgrund is continuing unabated.
After the primary residence and its surrounding buildings had been stripped to the bone, the looters began stripping the only remaining house that was still in a near-perfect condition about a year ago.
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The heavy corrugated iron roofing of the building has already been stripped, and there is no doubt that the plunderers will also remove whatever iron and metal they can lay their hands on.
Spotlighting Namibia was informed that the looting is taking place on an almost weekly basis.
One of the plunderers comes from Mariental, nearly 70km away, while some neighbouring farm owners are also allegedly responsible for the looting.
In its heyday, Voigtsgrund was regarded as a model farm and one of the most productive farming enterprises in the country.
The wanton destruction and theft of government property has been allowed to continue unchecked for the past two decades, with no accountability or consequences for those responsible.
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