Venaani calls for resettlement overhaul

Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) president McHenry Venaani has called on the incoming land reform commission to overhaul Namibia’s resettlement programme.

He says the current system is failing to promote productivity.

“We need to reform the resettlement schemes. It’s not working and it’s no longer bankable,” Venaani said during debate on a motion seeking the appointment of a new commission.

The motion was recently tabled by agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform minister Inge Zaamwani.

Venaani criticised the allocation of farms on 99-year leases without sufficient emphasis on productivity, saying beneficiaries should not retain land indefinitely without making it productive.

He proposed a system that would allow underperforming resettlement land to be acquired and allocated to people capable of turning it into productive enterprises and generating income to expand their farming operations.

Venaani called for the new commission to address corruption in land allocation and make resettlement schemes more attractive to young people.

Swapo parliamentarian Tobie Aupindi, however, says the commission would struggle to fulfil such expectations if its members continued to carry competing responsibilities.

“We need a commission that is full time . . . that will then redesign and redefine the resettlement programme to become a successful functioning system,” he says.

The appointments are effective from 1 May to 30 April 2029.

The nominees are Cardini Roman, Jeaneth Kuhanga, Mona-Lisa McKay and Ermelinda Tjimune.

The nominees will serve on the commission in an advisory capacity.

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