Martin Endjala
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform (MAWLR) has announced plans to recognise and register farm units at Farm Franken No. 242, situated in the Kunene region.
The ministry’s resettlement process will benefit about 26 people.
The ministry has demarcated the farm units into sections B, C, D, and E, ranging in size from 2 500 to 3 515 hectares.
The Windhoek Observer saw a notice inviting interested parties to file their objections with the ministry within seven days.
Gary Nekongo, the Kunene region’s division land deputy director, said the 26 people had already been living on the farm.
“The three farming units advertised are for people who are already on the farming unit. They will not go through the normal resettlement process, where they must apply, and the resettlement committee sits and recommends to the land reform advisor and all that,” he explained.
He explained that the notice indicates that these people are already there, and anyone who objects to the allocated farm units should come forward and explain why they are objecting.
He added that the remaining farming unit (E) would be advertised under the normal resettlement process, allowing individuals to apply for farming units.
“It’s a government farm. The state land was acquired through the willing seller, willing buyer concept in 2012 when the Franken Indigenous CC got the land, but it was withdrawn last year,” he said.
Nekongo explained that the withdrawal followed after Franken CC failed to adhere to several lease contract conditions, prompting the ministry to retain the farm.
He, however, could not provide the total cost of the farm when it was acquired, as he was not in the office at the time, but he explained that people are usually resettled for free.
“People normally enter into a lease agreement with the ministry for 99 years. What happens is that the first few years before the farm is surveyed and valued, it is free. Only after it is valued do people start paying rentals, but they are 5% of the initial cost, and at the end of the day, people end up paying a maximum of N$600-N$700, which is peanuts,” said Nekongo.
Franken was initially a commercial farm acquired for game farming activities, but it was later converted into a resettlement livestock farm.
