Residents of Khomas, who consider Windhoek their ancestral land, have asked the ancestral land commission to allocate them land on the outskirts of the city.
Uhuru Dempers, who is part of the commission, told Eagle FM that the residents said due to rapid urban development they have been denied access to their traditional land.
“You would note that the Khomas region is the only region in the country that doesn’t have a communal land board so there is actually no communal land in the area. But there is a number of farmland around.
“Some of it is town land but also on the outskirts there is farm land that people were asking but also in the nearby regions people were asking government to access land so that they could farm productively and also practice some of their rituals,” said Dempers.
He said there were some who said they do not have a village to call home.
The ancestral land commission was set up by President Hage Geingob as a follow up to the previous land conference resolution to try and gauge public opinion on the way forward with the issue of ancestral land.
The conference was the second of its kind after the one hosted soon after independence.
The Landless People’s Movement that has been vocal on the need to consider ancestral land as part of the overall land redistribution drive have shifted goals and criticized the commission is not good enough.
Okakarara councillor Vetaruhe Kandorozu of the Hoveka Royal House said that his traditional authority was looking forward to resettlement after the inquiries are done.
Pressed on what they would use the land for Kandorozu queried: “Who are the best livestock farmers in Namibia?”
Once resettled, Kandorozu urged government to subsidise farmers for optimum farm production.
At the inception of the commission, Geingob said: “You are expected to fulfil your responsibilities in an accountable and transparent manner. I am confident that given your credentials, expertise and wealth of knowledge, you will carry out your responsibilities with distinction.”
He has appointed High Court judge Shafimana Ueitele as chair with Unam lecturer Phanuel Kaapama as deputy. .
The rest of the commission comprises, former Unam vice chancellor Lazarus Hangula, chief Immanuel /Gaseb of the !Oe-#Gan community, Nangof’s Uhuru Dampers, former Swapo parliamentarian Willem Konjore and National Youth Council’s Joseph Petrus van der Westhuizen and Namibia Agriculture Union president Ryno van der Merwe.
