Agriculture, Water and Land Reform minister Calle Schletwein said land matters must be seen in the light of correcting injustices of the past, but also creating economic opportunities for disadvantaged citizens with the aim to diminish inequality.
Speaking during the official opening of the induction and training workshop for the newly appointed chairperson of the regional resettlement committees Wednesday at Otjiwarongo, Schlettwein said land matters are sensitive.
Nine regional governors attended the workshop.
“These matters are sensitive, demanding and emotive, hence our resolve to equip all Regional Resettlement Committees with the necessary land governance policy framework to manage the issues in a fair and transparent manner,” Schlettwein said.
The chairpersons of the RRC are part of the process to ensure the land allocated is utilised most productively to enable the beneficiaries to contribute to household food security and ultimately the growth of the Gross Domestic Product.
The Regional Resettlement Committees form communication linkages between the grassroots communities and central government and have the opportunity to priorities urgent and specific land matters from Constituencies and Regions for an immediate policy response.
Schlettwein said the Ministry is currently interrogating various initiatives with a view of coming up with a comprehensive strategy to address productivity challenges on most resettled farms.
The minister called for transparency and accountability while addressing the inequalities to improve access to land by the vulnerable groups.
According to Schlettwein, the land reform program, Regional Resettlement Committees in all the 14 administrative regions have been established as per section 9(1) of the Agricultural (Commercial) Land Reform Act, Act No 6 of 1995, as amended, to assist the Land Reform Advisory Commission.
The minister further said that Section 9. (1) stipulates that there is established for every region a regional resettlement committee to assist the Commission in the exercise of such of its powers or the performance of such of its duties or functions under this Act as the Commission may delegate or assign to the committee.
The Land Reform Commission, he added, is established as per section 2 of the Land Reform Act and its functions are contained in section 3. They are : (a) to make recommendations to the Minister or to advise the Minister in relation to any power conferred upon the Minister by this Act and which the Minister is required to exercise upon a recommendation of, or after consultation with, the Commission; (b) to investigate and consider, either of its own accords or upon a request by the Minister, any other matter relating to the exercise of the powers of the Minister under this Act and to make recommendations to the Minister in connection with any such matter; and (c) to perform such other functions as are assigned to it by this Act.
SChlettwein also said that the second national land conference produced a comprehensive set of resolutions, which have to be implemented.
One of the important steps, he said, is the land bill that combines the current Commercial and Communal Land Reform Acts and includes provisions giving effect to the relevant resolutions of the second land conference.
“However, due Namibia’s continued skewed land ownership structure, which has created and perpetuated socio-economic inequalities among our people the legitimate expectation is for Government to deliver a land reform that is fair, justified, economically viable, transparent and sustainable. Let’s intensify our fight against poverty and corruption by addressing structural inequality to ultimately ensure a prosperous Namibia,” he said.
