/ 18 May 2000

NAMIBIA PREPARES TO GRAB FARMS

NAMIBIA is setting up a fund to enable it to expropriate white-owned land for redistribution to landless blacks, a senior official told parliament. Hifikepunye Pohamba, secretary general of the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation, said the government would pay “just compensation” as stipulated in the country’s constitution. He was speaking during a debate on Monday on an amendment to the Agricultural Land Reform Act which will set up a Land Acquisition and Development Fund. The senior Swapo MP said the fund was being created because of “the reluctance by the majority of persons who belonged to the advantaged class during colonial rule to sell part of their land to the state on the basis of willing seller, willing buyer.” He urged the ministry of lands to “start looking around with a view to earmarking suitable land areas for expropriation.”