The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAFWLR) has announced that the government will relocate families who last year returned from Botswana, settling at Farm Otjipaheua.

The State will cover the full cost of the move as part of ongoing commitments to support their integration into Namibian society.

Inge Zaamwani paid a visit to the community who are settled at Gam today, after they requested a meeting with her.

The Ovaherero community has bemoaned the slow pace at which their full reintegration is being handled.

About 3 weeks ago they spoke to nbc news and claimed that the government has not kept its promises after they were received at the Dobe border post about 15 months ago.

On Thursday, Minister Zaamwani said families will receive allocation letters for farming plots on purchased farms before Christmas, and they will be required to occupy the land within 30 days. 

She says infrastructure was developed at Otjipaheua, a farm about 150 kilometres from the current area where the community resides.

"We are aware that the water might not be enough as the community will grow and expand. But for the time being, the water is sufficient. But in the time to come, it might not be sufficient. So we are therefore going to drill more boreholes," says Zamwaani.

Zaamwani said the government is working with other ministries and the Otjozondjupa Regional Governor's Office on outstanding infrastructure needs that fall outside her ministry's mandate.

She said the government has to date spent more than N$115 million on developing the current area where these families live.

Her remarks were aimed at addressing claims that the government has not provided sufficient support for the group's reintegration.

 "The government has also acquired farms in other parts of the country that were intended for your resettlement. Additionally, the government provides monthly food rations. The government ensures sanitation services through a contracted company and maintains security personnel at the reception centre. I am just bringing this up to dispel the notion that the government has not done enough to look after our fellow Namibians in this area," she added.

She said the temporary arrangement cannot continue indefinitely and stressed the need to accelerate reintegration into the wider Namibian society.

Zaamwani called on all the families in question to move to Otjipaheua as soon as possible so they can be allocated farming plots.