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Namibian govt plans to expropriate farms
Mail&Guardian ^
| 26 February 2004
Posted on 02/27/2004 4:01:07 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
The Namibian government announced on Wednesday that it will expropriate a select number of white-owned farms to accelerate its efforts at redistributing property to landless blacks.
"The land possession pattern in our country has been designed by colonialism to benefit a small group of minority settlers, at the expense of the majority," Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab said in an address to the nation aired on state television.
"Our young nation still struggles to bring about balance and undo the effects of the unjust land redistribution."
Most of the wealth in this southern African country remains in the hands of whites who make up less than five percent of the population of 1,8-million.
Since 1995, the government has been spending up to 20-million Namibian dollars (US$3,05-million) per year on its "willing seller, willing buyer" programme that gives government first option on any arable land that becomes available.
But the programme has been widely criticised for being too slow. Late last year, unions representing landless labourers began threatening to invade commercial farms if their grievances were not addressed.
The threats raised fears of the kind of violent land seizures that have plunged neighbouring Zimbabwe into political and economic turmoil.
Gurirab acknowledged the current land redistribution process was "cumbersome" and unable to meet demand. More than 240 000 people are still awaiting resettlement, he said.
Gurirab did not specify how many farms would now be expropriated, or when the process would begin. But he said land owners would be fairly compensated.
He urged Namibians to "exercise patience and not to engage in unlawful actions during the implementation of the reform process".
Land is a charged issue in Namibia. The country was first ruled by Germany, then South Africa, which imposed the same apartheid policies it applied at home. Blacks couldn't own land until the mid-1980s, and most of those working it today still can't afford to buy it.
The decision to start expropriating land comes after South Africa took similar steps to speed up its redistribution programme a decade after apartheid ended.
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: africa; africawatch; agrarianreform; agricluture; namibia
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To: Tailgunner Joe
BUMP
2
posted on
02/27/2004 4:04:36 PM PST
by
Dante3
To: Tailgunner Joe; abbi_normal_2; Ace2U; Alamo-Girl; Alas; alfons; alphadog; amom; AndreaZingg; ...
Rights, farms, environment ping.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.
3
posted on
02/27/2004 4:05:51 PM PST
by
farmfriend
( Isaiah 55:10,11)
To: farmfriend; Clive
bump
To: Tailgunner Joe
They aspire to the same standard of living being achieved by their neighbors in Rhodesia.
5
posted on
02/27/2004 4:20:50 PM PST
by
PAR35
To: Tailgunner Joe
6
posted on
02/27/2004 4:22:26 PM PST
by
Ironfocus
To: PAR35
And they deserve the same standard.
7
posted on
02/27/2004 4:25:21 PM PST
by
freeangel
(freeangel)
To: All
AfricaWatch:
To find all articles tagged or indexed using AfricaWatch, click below: |
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(To view all FR Bump Lists, click here) |
8
posted on
02/27/2004 4:27:03 PM PST
by
backhoe
("Pity About Africa...")
To: PAR35
A single farmer with a hoe cannot feed a nation as well as a farmer with a gigantic John Deere tractor.
They are marching in the wrong direction. As Western farms are getting larger and more productive. Namibia are returning to subsistence farming and will get the same results as Zimbabwe under Mugabe.
9
posted on
02/27/2004 4:43:10 PM PST
by
RedMonqey
(Its is dangerous to be right when your government is wrong)
To: RedMonqey
You beat me to the post.....almost word for word. Looks like it's Backwards to their Future for these 'reformers'.
10
posted on
02/27/2004 5:11:27 PM PST
by
pgobrien
(......................................................from the People's Republic of New York)
To: Tailgunner Joe
"Paging Kofi Annan...""Paging Kofi Annan..."
"White Courtesy Telephone, please!"
11
posted on
02/27/2004 5:31:43 PM PST
by
albee
To: RedMonqey
They are marching in the wrong direction. I fear that South Africa is heading down this path as well.
12
posted on
02/27/2004 5:54:22 PM PST
by
PAR35
To: Libertarianize the GOP; *AfricaWatch; blam; Cincinatus' Wife; sarcasm; Travis McGee; happygrl; ...
-
13
posted on
02/27/2004 6:18:12 PM PST
by
Clive
To: Clive
14
posted on
02/27/2004 6:21:49 PM PST
by
blam
To: PAR35
"I fear that South Africa is heading down this path as well." I figure five years or less. Mbeki has already said he likes Mugabe's farm reforms.
15
posted on
02/27/2004 6:25:27 PM PST
by
blam
To: PAR35
They aspire to the same standard of living being achieved by their neighbors in Rhodesia. Then they can demand food aid, largely provided by whitey.
I wonder how many black employees of white farmers and ranchers will lose their jobs, as in Rhodesia.
To: farmfriend
BTTT!!!!!!
17
posted on
02/28/2004 3:06:51 AM PST
by
E.G.C.
To: Clive
BUMP
18
posted on
02/28/2004 4:59:55 AM PST
by
Dante3
To: Libertarianize the GOP; Tailgunner Joe; *AfricaWatch; blam; Cincinatus' Wife; sarcasm; ...
-
19
posted on
02/28/2004 5:04:18 AM PST
by
Clive
To: Tailgunner Joe
But this time it will work because the right person will be in charge. (Stupid socialist theory number 13.)
Yeah, right.
20
posted on
02/28/2004 5:08:50 AM PST
by
CPOSharky
(Kerry - Will vote for money; Edwards - Will sue for money (My new bumper sticker))
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