Khomas wants expropriation

The expropriation of land and its return to the rightful owners without compensation was the general sentiment expressed by Khomas residents who attended the regional land consultation meeting in Windhoek at the close of last week.

The two-day meeting, which ended on Friday, forms part of the public consultations in the run-up to the second national land conference slated for October this year.

The majority of the people who attended the meeting held in the Kovambo Nujoma Hall at the Khomas Regional Office, called for the expropriation of land without compensation.

The call was spearheaded by Katutura central constituency councillor Ambrosius Kandjii, who claimed to be speaking on behalf of the masses.

“That is the feeling on the ground. It's not Kandjii saying that. The people want land to be expropriated without compensation,” he said.

“We needed to look at the 1991 conference and see where we have gone wrong and right as a country going into the second land conference,” was the response of Khomas governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua, when asked about the value of the consultative meetings.

Windhoek mayor Muesee Kazapua, who also attended the meeting, echoed Kandjii's sentiments.

“We as Khomas will go to the land conference with the position that land must be expropriated without compensation,” announced Kazapua, shortly before the meeting adjourned for the lunch break.



War veterns

The consultations also discussed the veterans of the liberation struggle and according to the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, they should not receive preferential treatment in terms of benefiting from State resources as is the case now, which has set a dangerous precedent.

AR noted it appreciates the contribution of Namibia's war veterans towards the attainment of the country's political independence. However, their role in the liberation struggle should not automatically put them ahead of other Namibians in terms of benefiting of the country's wealth.

The AR's Dimbulukeni Nauyoma said “war veterans are not special”.

“There was no form that when you return, the perks will come for you. So, we are creating a dangerous culture that everything Namibia has must go to freedom fighters in the name of fighting for Namibia.”

Moreover, he was worried that talks in the run-up to the second national land conference do not address challenges facing the youth in terms of land ownership.

“The element of young people benefiting from land, specifically the issue of urban land, we don't speak about it and this is a dangerous precedent,” he said.

Nauyoma's AR counterpart, Job Amupanda said not all war veterans should fall within the bracket of disadvantaged Namibians.

“Are we saying that President [Sam] Nujoma is disadvantaged? We are saying a veteran like Dr Kawana is disadvantaged? Conceptually, I have a problem with that,” said Amupanda, in reference to government's current definition of war veterans and their benefits.

Making his contribution on behalf of war veterans at the meeting, Alex 'Poison' Kamwi of the Namibia National Veterans Association bemoaned their sidelining.

“You are talking about veterans and you are even deciding for us while we were not there. Who told you to decide for us? You did not even provide us with information for us to know what you said on our behalf,” he said in reference to the current criteria for potential beneficiaries of government's resettlement programme.

“Who are you to speak on our behalf by the way?” Kamwi asked vaguely to the land reform ministry.

The consultative meetings are held throughout the country.

NAMPA