Allexer Namundjembo
A special parliamentary committee has raised concerns that the Affirmative Repositioning’s (AR) Land Bill of 2015 could harm foreign direct investment (FDI) and conflict with Namibia’s legal framework.
Tjekero Tweya, chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources, presented a report analysing the bill, which aims to regulate land ownership by non-Namibian citizens.
He said the bill may impact certain constitutional rights, particularly those in Chapter 3, which guarantees equality.
“The proposed bill will have an impact on certain rights and freedoms, particularly the fundamental rights and freedoms contained in Chapter 3 of the Namibian Constitution, the right to equality in that it seeks to treat non-Namibian citizens differently from Namibian citizens,” he said.
The AR movement submitted the petition for land reform in July 2015.
It called for changes to land distribution policies to address inequality and provide affordable housing, especially for young people.
The bill’s two main goals are to implement Article 16(1) of the Constitution on property rights and reaffirm land ownership for Namibians.
The committee reviewed existing land laws and consulted various stakeholders, though it was unable to engage the Council of Traditional Leaders despite efforts from 2021 to 2023.
‘’The committee made several efforts to reach out to the council from 2021, 2022, and 2023 to no avail. Thus this report had no inputs from,” said Tweya.
The committee found that the proposed bill, if passed, could conflict with Namibia’s legal framework, particularly the constitution.
The report warned that the bill could affect foreign investment.
“It may detrimentally affect Namibia’s standing as a respected member in the eyes of the international community and its effects will wave a red flag for all and much-needed foreign investments in the country and result in a substantial drop in the GDP and employment opportunities for Namibians and diminish the welfare of the people,” says Tweya in the report.
Before introducing the land bill, the committee recommended that the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform work with the AR to harmonise the petition’s proposals.
The AR’s spokesperson, George Kambala said that the committee’s findings expose the ongoing land injustice that has plagued Namibia since independence.
“The committee findings confirm what AR has always maintained: land reform in Namibia has been hijacked by elite interests while the masses remain landless,” he said.
He described the recommendations as a “bandage on a bullet wound,” arguing that they fail to address the root causes of land inequality.
“The findings fall short of addressing historic land theft and the illegitimate ownership of vast tracts by a privileged few. The people do not need reports; they need real action,” he said.
