Maria David
MINISTRY of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform intends to implement the revised National Resettlement Policy as from April 2024.
This is according to Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Calle Schlettwein during Parliament, on the approval and implementation of the revised National Resettlement Policy 2023.
According to Schlettwein, Land Reform and Resettlement remains one of the most important and difficult domestic policy issues that the country is implementing.
Schlettwein indicated that the work on the revision of the National Resettlement Policy 2001 commenced in 2016. In 2017, Ministry outsourced the review of the National Resettlement Policy, 2001 to a local Namibian Consultant, where topical issues were identified which formed the basis of the review of the Policy.
He said over the past 30 years, there have been increasing views from landless Namibians calling on the government to embark on the review of the Resettlement Programme.
“There has also been brewing impatience from some citizens about the presumably slow process of land reform and ineffective resettlement process,” he said.
He added that the 2001 National Resettlement Policy was considered a baseline policy in terms of our national journey to ensuring equitable distribution of acquired agricultural land.
However, Schlettwein said that policy had some shortcomings in terms of effectively addressing the on-going debate on who should benefit from the process of resettlement.
Further, Schlettwein indicated as a Ministry, they have not been able to attain the balance in terms of equity in land distribution and bringing the acquired land to full agricultural productivity and potential.
Therefore, he noted that this revised National Resettlement Policy 2023 – 2033 presents a blueprint with which the government, aided by all key stakeholders and the citizens at large, can address the issues of efficiency, equity, transparency, tenure security, capacity building and agricultural production as fundamental elements of a progressive and inclusive National Resettlement Policy.
“The Revised National Resettlement Policy presents the government’s commitment to address land redistribution challenges that our country continue to battle with in a more coordinated, inclusive and transparent manner,” he added.
Schlettwein stressed that the lessons taught the Ministry the importance of continual review of existing policies for relevance in order to ensure they remain responsive to prevailing needs and expectations of the Namibian people.
To this effect the revised policy has a 10 year lifespan.
Moreover, he added that the objective of the revised National Resettlement Policy 2023 –2033 is also to eliminate poverty by ensuring that the land acquired is equitably allocated and sustainably utilized for improved livelihoods.
Schlettwein also noted that the Policy targets to resettle previously disadvantaged Namibians who do not own agricultural land or adequate agricultural land and those Namibians who have been socially, economically or educationally disadvantaged by the past discriminatory laws and practices.
He noted that this is achieved under the reviewed policy by grouping the target beneficiaries into three main groups namely; commercial farmers on leased land in commercial or communal areas; communal farmers and none farming individuals.
