Namibia's land reform programme is set to undergo a comprehensive five-year performance audit. Agriculture, fisheries and water and land reform minister Inge Zaamwani recently directed the Land Reform Advisory Commission to assess the programme's progress. The audit will determine how many beneficiaries have been resettled and whether allocated farms are being productively utilised. This move aims to evaluate the programme's success in improving the lives of Namibians.
The audit will also assess the productivity of acquired farms and identify those that remain unallocated. Furthermore, the commission will examine the condition of unallocated farms and determine the requirements for restoring them to habitable conditions. This information will help the government identify challenges affecting beneficiaries and areas where additional support is needed to improve production and livelihoods.
Zaamwani stressed that land reform must address historical inequalities while ensuring that beneficiaries can use allocated land productively. She acknowledged that demand for land far exceeds availability and tasked the commission with reviewing the current resettlement model. The goal is to determine if the model can be improved to accommodate more people and provide constructive advice to the Ministry.
The minister urged commissioners to engage directly with beneficiaries and conduct regular community visits to understand the conditions facing farmers on resettlement farms. She emphasised the need for strengthened monitoring and evaluation after land acquisition and allocation. This includes identifying farms performing well, beneficiaries facing difficulties, and required interventions to improve productivity.
Zaamwani highlighted that the success of land reform should not only be measured by the amount of land acquired or the number of beneficiaries resettled. The programme's success will also be evaluated based on increased agricultural production, employment, household income, and food security. The minister called on commissioners to exercise independent judgement and provide recommendations that improve implementation and support for resettlement beneficiaries.
The National Assembly has called for the modernisation and digitalisation of land acquisition and allocation processes, which currently remain largely manual and cumbersome. The commission is also urged to consider the resolutions of the Second National Land Conference, including prioritising descendants of people dispossessed of land. Zaamwani will hold quarterly meetings with the commission to receive feedback and discuss challenges and possible policy reforms.
Key points
- The Namibian government has initiated a five-year performance audit of its land reform programme to assess productivity and beneficiary resettlement.
- The audit aims to identify challenges affecting beneficiaries and areas where additional support is needed to improve production and livelihoods.
- The Land Reform Advisory Commission has been fully constituted with new members appointed until 30 April 2029.
