”We have cried long enough,” says Hilde Wiese, a commercial farmer from Namibia, her eyes red. ”Now we’re actually pleased that it’s all over.”
More than a century ago, her German forefathers bought Ongombo West from the colonial Deutsch Sudwest Afrika, the government of the day.
The 4 006ha farm, about 50km from the capital, Windhoek, was part of land taken from the country’s indigenous inhabitants. Ongombo West is known to have belonged to the ethnic Maharero family.
This week, a chapter of colonial history closed as the Wieses prepared to vacate the farm, the first white-owned farm to be expropriated under Namibia’s fast-tracked land-reform programme.
What began two years ago as a labour dispute ended with the expropriation of the farm by the Namibian government in September, more than a decade after independence.
The Wieses apparently fell foul of the government after they became embroiled in a dispute with some of their workers over the death of animals on the farm early last year.
They demanded compensation, fired and evicted several workers but were forced to reinstate those involved.
As the drama played out on Ongombo West, government officials signalled their intention to speed up the land-reform process by which 4,8-million hectares of land are reassigned to 240 000 beneficiaries.
Notices for expropriation were sent out to more than a dozen of the country’s estimated 4 500, mostly white, commercial farmers.
Ongombo West made headlines again when it became the first of the farms to be expropriated under laws based on the principle of ”willing buyer, willing seller”.
Several weeks ago, the family reluctantly accepted the government’s offer of N$3,7-million for the farm, although they had asked for N$9-million.
Tractors, fencing, furniture and children’s toys were cleaned and lined up in the large farmyard, for auction this week.
”I’m a little sad, and bitter too,” says Wiese while her granddaughter has a last look at the farm that was the centre of their cut-flower and plant-export business since 1904.
‘I am nervous about the future’
For Julius Amukoshi, who has tended plants on the farm for the past six years, there is sadness too.
”I will leave, as without my employer there is nothing here for me,” he says. ”I am nervous about the future because I don’t know where I will find another job”.
Unlike Amukoshi, Elias Hoebeb wants to remain on the farm after his employers leave. He was involved in the labour dispute that put the spotlight on Ongombo and led to its compulsory sale.
”Government officials came here and asked me where I want to go. I said I wanted to stay here as there is nowhere else for me to go,” he says.
Hoebeb is anxiously hoping that the government will take him and his family into account when the land is redistributed.
The vast majority of black Namibians do not own land.
”I want to farm here and to grow flowers. I want to provide for my family and send my children to school,” he says.
Neighbouring farmer Reinhard Voigts appears distressed during his last visit to Ongombo West.
”It pains me to the core to see how a tradition is coming to an end,” he says.
He, like other farmers in Namibia, say they are uncertain of what the future holds. The Namibian government has not yet set out details of further land reforms planned in the coming years, which are expected to proceed by compulsory purchase orders.
Another farmer, Attie Steenkamp, also took leave of the Wiese family this week.
”You just don’t know whether you should carry on or whether everything will be taken away from you,” he remarks.
Steenkamp’s sons have already decided to sell up and move.
Wiese has bought a house in the capital with the proceeds of the sale.
”I already feel quite at home there,” she says, fighting back tears.
”My fondest wish is that the Maharero family get back this land that they surrendered to the German colonial government all those years ago.
”If the Herero settle here again, then I know that the family cemetery will be looked after, and I would be very glad if that is the case,” she adds. — Sapa-DPA