Yes! To truly project Namibian power and influence across the Seven Seas!
Posted on 06/23/2004 10:18:36 AM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
WINDHOEK - Namibia's white farmers are increasingly concerned about their future after President Sam Nujoma's government began targeting a second group of farms for expropriation under its land reform program.
A second wave of letters was sent to white farmers last week, on the heels of a first bunch in early May notifying farm owners to set a price for the sale of their land to the state.
The letters mark the first time since land reforms began in the southern African country in 1996 that the government has taken steps to expropriate farmers, raising concerns that Namibia is following the path of Zimbabwe.
"My neighbour received a notice three days ago," a farmer who asked not to be named told AFP at the weekend. "Four more farmers in my area have also received a letter signed by Lands Minister Pohamba."
"We don't know what to do if we also receive such a notice. Our children are teenagers, maybe we should emigrate to Australia," the farmer, who inherited his farm from his grandfather, said to AFP.
Fearing the worst, the farmer said he was cutting back on expenses and only purchasing goods that are essential to run his farm.
A lands ministry official declined to comment on the new notices.
"I cannot comment on that and I cannot disclose any figures at this stage", the official told AFP.
Land is a sensitive issue in southern Africa, where as in other part of Africa, most of the arable land is in the hands of a small group of white farmers. In Namibia, they number around 3,800.
The example of Zimbabwe, where thousands of white-owned farms were seized and handed over to blacks, was hailed in some quarters as a justified solution to the decades-old conundrum.
Since 1996, the Namibian government has bought 130 farms under its "willing seller, willing buyer" principle and resettled some 40,000 people on them.
In addition, 700 white-owned commercial farms were bought on the open market by black Namibians since independence through affirmative action loans from the Agricultural Bank.
The government in the former German colony, which came under South African rule until independence in 1990, maintains that the expropriations will be carried out in strict accordance with its laws.
But the assurances appear to have fallen on deaf ears.
"I am aware of the uncertainty prevailing among the farmers. Already companies selling agricultural equipment are feeling the pinch, because farmers hold back with investments to improve their infrastructure," Jan de Wet, outgoing president of the largest commercial farmers' organisation told some 60 white farmers last week.
De Wet's organisation, the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), has won an extension of the deadline given to the first group of farmers to respond to the notices, to June 30.
"We are for a fair expropriation process, but the government has not even made known the criteria to expropriate in the public interest," says Sigi Eimbeck, co-founder of a new group called the Namibia Farmers' Support Initiative created earlier this year.
The planned farm expropriations are having ripple effects on foreign investment.
German businessman Wilfried Pabst told AFP that he had frozen investment in Namibia after running into problems in Zimbabwe.
Pabst complained of being harassed by Zimbabwean local officials who called him and his staff "white pigs".
"Now President Sam Nujoma is using similar socialist vocabulary like Robert Mugabe and farm expropriations are to happen in Namibia.
"I don't need another Zimbabwe in my life," said Pabst.
It will be Nujoma's fifth trip to Cuba. Both countries established diplomatic relations on March 21, 1990, the day Namibia became independent from South Africa.
Nujoma's first trip to Cuba was in March 1991, when Castro gave him the nation's highest honour, the order of Jose Marti, the icon of Cuba's war of independence from Spain.
Nujoma, Lula discuss defence co-operation - Brazil is trying to close a US$35 million (N$220 million) deal to sell a ship and five patrol boats to the Namibian navy, said a Brazilian official.
not looking good there
Yes! To truly project Namibian power and influence across the Seven Seas!
"Since 1996, the Namibian government has bought 130 farms under its "willing seller, willing buyer" principle and resettled some 40,000 people on them."
Does anyone have any information on how those farms are doing?
Probably better than just handing them over to friends like Mugabe does.
Bulletin to Namibia's white farmers:
Don't worry about your future in Namibia - you have none!
South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In ) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that was soon named Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Independence came in 1990 following multi-party elections and the establishment of a constitution. President NUJOMA is currently serving his third term as president
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/wa.html
ahh going back to their roots...
"1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO"
Natural resources:
diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish
note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore
OH lookey here, we have OIL, and IRON ore... well the chicoms shouldnt be far behind this one...
Time to plow the fields one last time. Make sure to use plenty of salt.
The Soviets had intentions before they went down in flames. I think the Chicoms mean business.
Most of those farms have become squatting grounds where people crowd together on the land that used to produce food waiting for the UN trucks to deliver said food.
That was my guess.
"willing seller, willing buyer" policy -- a harsher version of "don't ask, don't tell.
Cobalt salts. In particular, cobalt-60 salts...
Get out while you can with the clothes on your back. You'll still have your life.
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