By Caleb Shatyohamba
Windhoek 11 December || The Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein, has officially handed over 8,132 hectares of land to the !Khomanin Traditional Authority, marking a historic milestone for the community and Namibia as a whole.
This event represents a significant step forward in addressing past land disparities, with the establishment of the first communal land in the Khomas Region.
Speaking during the handing over, Schlettwein revealed that the land, comprising the farms Groot Korasieplaats and Portion 1 of Groot Korasieplaats, that was acquired by the government at a cost of N$33.9 million.
“Today, I am a happy man. It is an emotional moment because we have lived to witness the creation of the Khomanin Communal Land. This tenure set-up has changed forever, and your demands have at least in part been fulfilled,” he stated.
The handover culminates decades of advocacy by the !Khomanin community, who began their struggle for land in 1990 by demonstrating outside the gates of the Dean Viljoen National Game Reserve. Schlettwein acknowledged the patience and maturity shown by the !Khomanin Traditional Authority throughout this challenging process.
He further emphasized that the establishment of communal land in Khomas region is part of the government’s broader strategy to address the inequities left by colonial regimes. “The colonial regimes left us with serious inequalities in land ownership and economic opportunities. Dispossession, displacement, and deprivation of livelihoods left deep scars in black communities,” he explained.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s dedication to implementing resolutions from the Second National Land Conference, which include expanding communal land and promoting investment and agricultural development.
The newly established Khomas Communal Land will be administered under the Communal Land Reform Act of 2002. The !Khomanin Traditional Authority will serve as the primary allocator of land rights, while oversight will be provided by the Khomas Communal Land Board and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform.
Schlettwein stressed the importance of sustainable land use, warning against illegal fencing, overgrazing, and mismanagement.
“This is a great start for the !Khomanin Traditional Authority to practice its traditional rituals and customs, strengthen its disenfranchised traditions, and teach our children about agriculture and self-sustainability,” he said.
Despite the achievement, Schlettwein acknowledged the limitations of the land’s size and urged neighboring farm owners to offer additional land for expansion. He also reiterated the government’s position on foreign nationals, emphasizing that customary land rights should be preserved for Namibians while encouraging foreigners to lease land for economic activities.
“The establishment of communal land in the Khomas Region is a breakthrough. Let us use this land resource productively and sustainably to derive decent livelihoods,” he said.
The leadership of the !Khomanin Traditional Authority expressed deep gratitude to the government for the land, while also appealing for more land to enable greater economic activities.
