Namibian farmers put at ease
2004-06-19 11:48
Otjiwarongo, Namibia - A white-dominated farmers' union in Namibia on Friday sought to quell fears of imminent land grabs, saying the state had extended a deadline for some farmers to make an offer to sell their property to the government.
The president of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), Jan de Wet, on Friday told about 60 white farmers at a meeting in Otjiwarongo, 250km north of Windhoek, that negotiations between the NAU and the land ministry had led to the extension.
President Sam Nujoma's government last month told 15 white farm owners to make their sale price offers in 14 days, in what was seen by some as the first move by the authorities to force the white farmers off their land.
"Among the 15 letters we know of, eight affected farmers are our members. We held discussions with them and the (lands) ministry and were told to send letters requesting a longer deadline as 14 days was too short", de Wet said.
"The new date set for written price offers to reach the ministry is June 30," the NAU president said.
Namibia, a former German colony which came under South African rule until its independence in 1990, has been ruled since then by Nujoma, who has sent strong signals on the land issue.
Nujoma told a May Day rally that a few "racist farmers" were firing their workers and leaving them homeless, and threatened to expropriate their land.
Last week, he issued another warning.
"I would like to warn the minority racist commercial farmers that any farm owner who illegally evicts his farm workers is considered a criminal and will feel the full wrath of the laws of the Republic of Namibia", he threatened.
Namibia has an estimated 3 800 commercial farms, of which some 700 have changed hands and have black owners since independence.
The government has repeatedly stressed that land reform will be carried out within the context of the law, that just compensation will be paid, and that the move is necessary as most of Namibia's arable land is in white hands.
The NAU has also asked the government to spell out what criteria it has set for expropriation.
The farmers' union has appointed a group of experts from the private sector to draft a "working document" by the end of June to recommend how market value for farm infrastructure could be calculated, with examples taken from other countries including neighbouring South Africa.
"I am aware of the uncertainty prevailing among the farmers. Already companies selling agricultural equipment are feeling the pinch, because farmers hold back with investments to improve their infrastructure", de Wet said.