Land redistribution 30% off target

Government has not managed to reach its land-redistribution targets in recent years, but it has made great strides to provide land to previously disadvantaged Namibians.About 67% of the five million hectares of farmland targeted for redistribution by 2020 has been acquired.This according to spokesperson Chrispin Matongela, who said since the inception of the land reform programme in 1990, the ministry has acquired 556 farms at an overall cost of more than N$2.23 billion.“These farms have a collective size of more than 3.3 million hectares.”Matongela said a total of 5 373 previously disadvantaged beneficiaries have been resettled. This includes 2 134 men, 1 458 women and 26 juristic entities.“For the remaining 1 755, the gender is not recorded as these are group resettlements and San development projects.”AALSOne of the instrumental apparatus aimed at equitable distribution and proper utilisation of land for sustained economic growth is the Affirmative Action Loan Scheme (AALS), he said. This programme is administered by Agribank.It is an integral component of the land-reform programme, which enables innovative new farmers from previously disadvantaged communities to acquire farms in commercial areas.According to Matongela, under the AALS, a total of 648 loans were granted to the tune of N$776.4 million.The total size of land acquired under the AALS totals more than 3.4 million hectares.“By using the population and housing census, it was estimated that there are 245 000 communal land parcels (plots) in Namibia.”Today, a total of 135 106 of the estimated 245 000 land parcels have been registered countrywide, he said.FundingMatongela added that the ministry acquired funding from the European Union (EU), Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) and government to support the registration of communal land.“The target is to have all the estimated 245 000 communal land rights registered by 2025.""Since the launch of the Programme for Communal Land Development in 2014, investment planning for infrastructure measures has been conducted on 791 000 hectares in regions such as Kavango East, Kavango West, Zambezi, Ohangwena, Omusati, Omaheke, Otjozondjupa and Oshikoto," he said.A total of 900 000 hectares of land is earmarked for infrastructure development.“So far, the development of infrastructure has covered the total area of 270 500 hectares in communal areas. More than 7 800 members of farming households derive benefit from an enhanced production environment.”The programme is implemented in collaboration with KfW as part of a larger communal land reform programme, which falls under a financing agreement between the government and the EU.

Land redistribution 30% off target

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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Land redistribution 30% off target

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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