Farmworker evicted after 41 years of service

Pensioner and generational farm labourer Gerson 'Gearbox' Sani Danab (61) was evicted from Farm Aandrus in the Khomas Region, which he had called home for more than 40 years, on Valentine's Day. The eviction on Friday, 14 February, carried out by farmer Dani Botha, has sparked outrage and renewed discussions about the paradox of land rights and the treatment of farmworkers in Namibia.Danab, who began working on Farm Aandrus in the early 1980s at age 20, followed in the footsteps of his parents, who also worked for the Botha family. His father, who passed away in 1997, is buried at Farm Dornkloff, a short distance from Aandrus.According to community activist Shaun Gariseb, upon Danab's father's death, his mother was reportedly evicted, but he was allowed to stay due to his youth and ability to work.Now, decades later, he finds himself facing the same fate.Gariseb said now, despite Danab's many years of loyal service – 17 years under the late Fani Botha and another 23 years under his son, Dani Botha – he was denied a pension payout and allegedly forcibly removed from the only home he has ever known.He, his wife of 38 years, Fransina, and their younger children were left stranded 80 kilometres east of Windhoek just over a week ago.Gariseb said he was told by Danab that while he was expelled, his son, Aron Sani Danab, continues to work on the farm, underscoring a painful cycle of generational farm labour with little security.Discarded after decades of serviceThe eviction has drawn sharp criticism from land activists, who argue that it exemplifies the exploitation and displacement of farmworkers. "This is a sad reality of how people are ‘spat out’ when they age," Gariseb said. "We see a clear pattern of farmworkers being discarded after decades of service while land ownership remains concentrated in the hands of a few."In addition, Dani Botha allegedly imposed strict limits on Danab’s livestock numbers. He was allegedly permitted to keep only 30 goats and five cows, with any excess allegedly claimed by Botha on the grounds that they were sired by his bulls.Botha declined to comment on any of the allegations when Namibian Sun reached out yesterday.Now, on top of being evicted, Danab said he also faces a cost of N$4 200 to transport his animals.Gariseb told Namibian Sun that they confronted Botha regarding the eviction, but he allegedly refused to engage in meaningful dialogue, dismissing their concerns and brushing off government resolutions from the 2018 Second Land Conference.Botha’s alleged unwillingness to recognise farmworkers' rights have further fuelled tensions in a region already grappling with deep-seated land injustices.Fighting for solutions According to Gariseb, 25 farms in the Khomas Region are owned by foreign nationals, while 47 farms have been waived by the agriculture ministry under Calle Schlettwein.Despite this, Gariseb says the |Khomanin Traditional Authority owns no land in the region.In response to this and similar cases, activists have vowed to fight for justice. They have announced plans to relocate all evicted generational farmworkers to a resettlement farm, Baumgartsbrunn until a permanent solution is found.

Farmworker evicted after 41 years of service

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Namibian Sun 2025-02-26

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Farmworker evicted after 41 years of service

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Namibian Sun 2025-02-26

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