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The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform maintains a 70/30 ratio allocation in favour of those who have been displaced through revised resettlement criteria and the newly approved National Resettlement Policy.

In response to Rally for Democracy and Progress' (RDP) MP Kennedy Shekupakela's inquiry about stranded individuals waiting for resettlement on various farms, Deputy Minister Anna Shiweda stated that the ministry is actively working with stakeholders, including the Ministry of Finance, to increase budget allocations for the Land Acquisition Programme.

She highlighted the ministry's ongoing engagement with landowners to encourage their contribution of agricultural land to support the government's broader land reform programme and resettlement efforts.

"This year, the ministry received a ringfenced amount of N$50 million for the purpose of purchasing land for generational farm workers and potentially those stranded in corridors. I want to emphasize that although this budget is insufficient, we will ensure strict due diligence when allocating land to this category to prevent any abuse of this noble idea."

She also mentioned that the ministry is collaborating with Agribank to address gaps in the resettlement programme, discussing the possibility of increasing the current loan amount from N$200,000 to N$500,000.

"I want to note that while the ministry aims to empower farmers, the majority of beneficiaries who received this support package have not repaid their loans. The current arrears for this revolving fund facility amount to a staggering 48%. In addition to financial support, the ministry provides pre- and post-training to all resettlement beneficiaries."

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Joleni Shihapela