Hage Geingob, President of Namibia vowed on Monday to push through with land redistribution. Echoing the government of neighbouring South Africa, where the issue is a being highly debated in a fierce political battleground.
“Many Namibians were driven off their productive land,” Geingob said at the opening of a national conference in Windhoek to discuss new land policy.
“The fundamental issue is the inequality… We also share a burning land issue and a racialised distribution of land resources with South Africa.
“This comes from a common history of colonial dispossession. What we also agree to is that the status quo will not be allowed to continue.”
Geingob added that “careful consideration should be given to expropriation”, but urged that the process remain peaceful.
Several traditional leaders, civil society organisations and political parties boycotted the conference for allegedly having pre-determined outcomes. The traditional leaders have asked that government considers resettling people on land that belonged to their ancestors.
