National Unity Democratic Org an i s at i on (Nudo) parliamentarian Vetaruhe Kandorozu has underscored t he imp o r t a nc e of understanding the distinctive and true meaning of the word "resettlement" within Namibia's land reform policies and programmes.
During Monday's National Assembly's proceedings, Kandorozu pointed out that there is a widespread misinterpretation of the term "resettlement", which he said could impact the effectiveness of the ongoing land redistribution efforts.
"They are the rightful beneficiaries of resettlement to their ancestral lands. For example, my good professor here, Job Amupanda, does not qualify to be resettled because he cannot come back to a place where he was not previously residing, such as Okandjoze," stated Kandorozu, making his contribution to the motion on the appointment of commissioners to the Land Advisory Commission.
Kandorozu explained that the prefix "re-" typically signifies "to return" or "to come back".
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Therefore, true resettlement should primarily involve those who have been dispossessed of their land, including individuals displaced by colonial-era policies or other historical injustices.
This distinction, he buttressed, underscores the need to tailor programmes specifically for those seeking to be settled rather than resettled.
The lawmaker also stressed that the Land Advisory Commission must clearly understand this differentiation, as it will assist the government in making informed and sound judgement when resettling and settling Namibians.
"We need to design a separate programme for those who want to be settled, not mix them into resettlement initiatives. So therefore, our commissioners, all of them, not only those that come through Parliament, but also those that were appointed through their institutions, need to understand this. The other issue that they need to look at is the land surveyor. The land surveyor goes out into the regions, identifies farms, and then they connect with the seller and the buyer..."
"They [commissioners] then declare a particular farm where people have been farming for the past hundred years unfit for resettlement to give an opportunity to the buyer to get the waiver. So, they need to interrogate; they need to investigate the issuing of waivers.
They must also make sure that they are not going to evict generational farm workers. Where will they go if they are evicted? he asked.
Kandorozu fu r the r highlighted that people who have been pushed off their land must be prioritised by government, and the remaining land should be allocated to the landless.
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"Our commissioners need to be pro-people who have lost land and are increasingly becoming landless.
The government should allocate units to these workers as part of a group resettlement programme, allowing them to remain on their farms," he said.
Furthermore, he called for closer collaboration between the Land Advisory Commission and regional governor's offices to identify and encourage suitable farmers to apply for land, rather than distributing large farms, sometimes exceeding 2 000 hectares, to individuals with no livestock or farming experience.
"I support this motion and the appointment of the new commissioners, as they must serve the interests of landless and displaced Namibians," he concluded.
