By: Nghiinomenwa-vali Erastus
The government is looking at prohibiting the ownership of agricultural land by foreigners.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Inge Zaamwani, has given notice of tabling the particular motion that will include the probation.
The notice was given yesterday.
Land statistics from the Namibia Statistics Agency show that a total of 250 farms and farm portions, covering 1.2 million hectares, are owned by foreign nationals.
Out of this, 639,667 hectares (53.0%) of the land is owned by German nationals, followed by South Africans with 353,875 hectares (29.3%) and Americans with 82,024 hectares (6.8%).
Definition as per the Commercial Agricultural Act, No. 6 of 1995, states that a foreign national is a person who is not a Namibian citizen, or a company incorporated under the laws of any country other than Namibia.
Or, a company incorporated in Namibia in which the controlling interest is not held by Namibian citizens or by a company/close corporation in which the controlling interest is held by Namibian citizens.
Namibia is rocked by land inequality, with most of its productive land owned by the few, with foreigners owning strategic and large hectares of land.
The government has tried to acquire back some of the land from the previously advantaged groups to redistribute to those who lost land through the more than 100 years of colonial regime.
This is through the model of willing seller, willing buyers; however, this model has met a lot of criticism, with the government waiving various farms, outpriced, and few willing sellers.
Yesterday, the government, through the land reform Ministry, gave notice that on the 3rd September 2025 that it will introduce a Bill that will prohibit the acquisition of commercial agricultural land by foreign nationals.
Furthermore, this Bill will also regulate the leasing of commercial agricultural land by foreign nationals, and it will provide for the compulsory acquisition and alienation of commercial agricultural land by the State.
This is for the purposes of land reform and other land reform-related purposes, the summary from the land reform Ministry stated.
Of the 39.7 million hectares of freehold agricultural (commercial) land, 27.9hectares (70.1%) is owned by previously advantaged Namibians.
The Bill will also provide for the establishment of communal land boards and provide for their powers and functions.
Additionally, it will provide for the establishment of the Communal Land Development Fund; to provide for the demarcation and extention of communal land areas, along with communal land rights.
Moreover, Zaamwani indicated that the Bill will provide for the continuation of the Land Reform Advisory Commission.
The land acquired by the state through the Bill will be allocated to Namibian citizens who do not own or otherwise have access to any adequate agricultural land.
The state will also be given the preferential right to purchase commercial agricultural land.
The Minister went on to indicate that the Bill will provide for the valuation of commercial agricultural land, continuation of the Valuation Court under the name Valuation Tribunal.
This includes the imposition of land tax. erastus@thevillager.com.na
