The Otjozondjupa Region received 1,268 applications for resettlement purposes this year, of which only five were resettled.
In his State of the Region Address, Governor James Uerikua says the demand for resettlement surpasses the supply.
Agriculture is an economic strength of the Otjozondjupa, with 70% of the inhabitants directly or indirectly dependent on the sector, primarily in livestock, horticulture, and crop production.
The maize triangle, embedded in rich underground aquifers, is the reason the region continues to have high interest in the agricultural sector.
The Land Reform Department acquired a N$14 million farm, measuring 5,567 hectares of land for resettlement, which was divided into three farming units.
The department also advertised three government resettlement farms in the region, which are "Farm Omukandi No. 64, which was acquired in the financial year under review, and in addition, three other farms, namely Farm Hoeveld No. 161 and Farm Hoffmanstal (Wallcourt) No. 99, which were already acquired in the 2022/23 financial year and advertised, for objections. One farm that was transferred from the then Ministry of Agriculture is Farm Otjisazu Noord No. 264, of which the occupation of the landless Namibians is being formalised for them to be occupying this farming unit.," said Uerikua.
There are 10 farming units in the four resettlement farms, of which five are allocated to applicants from the Otjozondjupa Region.
"On average, this applicant causes when you take a total of 1,298 applicants for 10 farming units in our region, that actually come down to 126 applicants per farming unit. That is a competition that you sit with, so for those of you who keep applying, a total of 100-something per farming unit. That is because the demand is very high and the supply is low."
The resettlement leaseholds paid for the financial year 2023/2024 are 288 thousand dollars, which is an increase of 27% in revenue collection.
"This money will, of course, go a long way in assisting the government to acquire more farms for resettlement purposes and also to contribute towards infrastructure rehabilitation. I, therefore, thank all those resettlement farmers who have committed to paying their lease fee and also urge all resettlement beneficiaries in the region to farm productively, adhere to the lease agreement, and continue paying their lease fee on time."
Under Group Resettlement, the region procured the Neu Sammerau resettlement farm in 2001, and the government continues to support the project with farm implements, during the period under review, it spent more than N$316,000.