A group of |Khomanin, led by activist Shaun Gariseb, has occupied a farm on the outskirts of Windhoek, claiming that Ao ||Gaexas is their rightful ancestral land.

The frustrated members assert that their forefathers were forcibly removed from the land by the apartheid regime and continue to face marginalization from the government today.

The group entered the farm through an open gate, singing songs and chanting traditional phrases

as they proclaimed their intention to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs.

According to spokesperson Shaun Gariseb, this action is part of a broader movement advocating for the return of ancestral lands to indigenous communities.

The group has already erected structures on the land and plans to remain indefinitely.

They argue that the government has failed to address their grievances despite decades of petitions and negotiations.

"Some individuals own three to five farms, yet both the first and second land conferences stated one person, one farm. The original diagram, which I will show you, number A898 on the indicated portion, confirms that the farm was never purchased from the Khomanin community. Dated 15 November 1963, this was shortly after our people were removed from this very land between 1956 and 1957," Gariseb stated.

He emphasized that their actions are not an act of trespassing but a rightful reclamation of ancestral territory.

Historical documents indicate that between 2013 and 2016, a land surveyor conducted assessments reflecting the painful legacy of apartheid-era dispossession.

Gariseb alleged that, rather than rectifying past injustices, the current government has facilitated the ongoing alienation of indigenous communities.

"In the |Khomas region alone, the |Khomanin community owns no land, while 54 commercial farms are controlled by foreign nationals, many of whom are absent. We are forced to seek permission to visit our ancestors' graves and practice our traditional rites on land that should rightfully belong to us."

Despite these allegations of continued marginalization, the government last year acquired and handed over land to the |Komani people, located 140 kilometers east of Windhoek.

The ceremony, officiated by former Minister of Agriculture Carl Schlettwein, was attended by the Queen of the Khomani people, Juliana Gawa!nas, who expressed gratitude to the government for the land.

The farm, Goot Korasieplaats, spans eight thousand hectares and has been designated for the |Khomanin Traditional Authority, which will now administer the land and issue land rights to its people.

However, the community is dissatisfied with the land's location, as they prefer land to be allocated closer to Windhoek.

At a meeting of the |Khomani people held earlier this month in Groot Aub, the Deputy Executive Director in the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reform acknowledged that community members are scattered across the |Khomas Region due to a lack of land.

He assured them that the government has initiated a program to acquire land for the |Khomani people to create a traditional area and promised that additional land would be purchased as funds become available.

Meanwhile, the owner of the occupied farm, identified only as Roos, agreed to a roundtable discussion with the community and the government.

Roos was present at the occupied land and vowed to remain. The land in question is located on the outskirts of Windhoek, along Daan Viljoen Road.