Zimbabwean Praise for Namibian Land Reform

[seemslikeadream]

The Namibian (Windhoek)

April 1, 2004
Posted to the web April 1, 2004

Petros Kateeue
Windhoek

NAMIBIA's approach to the land issue has received backing from neighbouring Zimbabwe whose own land reform process degenerated into lawlessness.

Deputy Speaker of Zimbabwe's parliament, Edna Madzongwe, commended Namibia for addressing the land issue early enough - "before the landless citizens' patience ran out".

In the case of Zimbabwe, according to her, the land reform process was delayed because during the first 10 years of independence the country had to follow the willing-seller, willing-buyer concept and thereafter Britain had to provide funds for the exercise.

But the former colonial master - Britain - apparently reneged on the promise.

"Because we are a poor country, we don't have money. When the British failed to honour the promise we were left with no choice but to take what is ours... which is land," the Zimbabwean legislator said in an apparent reference to her government's chaotic land expropriation.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200404010023.html

[demdave]

1. In Ohio

the rule is "only 2 poles per person". This is starting to look like a long line operation.

[AP]

2. "denegrated into lawlessness" -- no evidence provided.

"chaotic land expropriation" -- the reporter's spin, without substantiation.

Incidentally, this is exactly why the Western media & governments thought it was so important (1) for the MDC to win the last election, and (2) to denigrate land reform -- they were worried that it would actually proceed in a way that other countries would look at it as a reasonably successful process, which Namibia is clearly doing.

And, as I have done so elsewhere today, I repeat: people, look at the misery, displacement, death and destruction which was required by and resulted from GETTING INTO AND PERPETUATING COLONIAL RELATIONSHIPS.

Of course, there's going to be some economic disruption and displacement getting out of it (and obviously the west is going to resist -- because they're the ones who were doing so well, making all the money, and enjoying all the benefits of colonialism, and postcolonialism, and neoliberalism).

All things considered, it's remarkable that Zimbabwe has been able to progress out of postcolonialism (during a drought) with as little displacement and violence as there has been.

And, to repeat for emphasis, that's why Namibia is doing what they're doing -- thinking about doing the same thing.

By the way, allafrica.com is a NED site.

[seemslikeadream]

3. Land Reform: Namibia moves into the fast lane

by Uazuva Kaumbi
After years of going slow on land reform, the Namibian government is now moving into the fast lane to bring some equity into land ownership in the country. For Namibia, this is a very radical move.


The night of 25 February 2004 will go down in Namibian history as a watershed moment. Speaking on behalf of the Namibian government in a special live TV and radio broadcast, the prime minister, Theo-Ben Gurirab, informed the nation that the government had decided to accelerate the land reform process by way of expropriation.

For Namibia’s landless masses and land reform activists, it was like music to the ears. Alfred Angula, the leader of the Namibian Farmworkers Union (NAFWU), said he was “the happiest man on earth” when he heard the good news. Equally elated was Risto Kapenda, the president of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), the largest trade union in the country.

http://www.africasia.com/newafrican/na.php?ID=324

[SemperEadem]

9. could their off-shore diamond mining operation be a part of this?

[seemslikeadream]

4. Land moves worry Nam farmers

Land moves worry Nam farmers
01/03/2004 20:24 - (SA)


Namibia land grab imminent


Marietie Louw


Pretoria - The Namibian Agricultural Union (NAU) has asked its government to explain to citizens and the international community the criteria under which farms will be expropriated.

Namibian Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab announced last week that land would be appropriated to speed up land reform.

He said the country's voluntary-buyer, voluntary-seller policy was too cumbersome and did not meet the public demand for land.

Gurirab said the 240 000 landless people were not being helped fast enough under the existing policy.

more
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1491825,00.html

[AP]

12. You know why "voluntary buyer-voluntary seller" doesn' work?

Because, when you steal land, you permanently impoverish the people from whom you stole it. You can't buy without money.

If you read the Swans article I PM'd you about, you'll see that this was something that was an issue when that program was initiated. The only reason Zimbabwe agreed to it was because the west promised they'd fund the purchases. Which they never did. Perhaps that was their plan from the beginning -- surely they knew there'd be now voluntary buyers if the west didn't give them money.

[seemslikeadream]

5. Namibian farmers fear 'going the Zim way'

By Rosemary Nalisa

The Namibia Agricultural Union, says the announcement that farm expropriations will take place in the country has sent shockwaves through its agricultural community.

"It is shocking. It causes sorrow and disturbances in the farming community," said the union's president, Jan de Wet.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab said on state television that a number of white-owned farms would be expropriated to accelerate land reform.

more

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=68&art_id=vn20040301081434161C615593&set_id=1

[AP]

11. "It causes sorrow" to the farming community. NOW they care about sorrow?

If they cared a bout sorrow they wouldn't be there in the first place.

Oh, I get it. It's white sorrow which gets counted.

[seemslikeadream]

6. Lessons on land reform

March 1, 2004

By the Editor

On the surface, there is nothing peculiar about the decision of the Namibian government to appropriate land from the current landowners, most of whom are white farmers, and give it to landless Africans in that country.

After all, the land hunger was one of the major motives that propelled Herman Toivo ja Toivo, Sam Nujoma and countless other freedom fighters to take up arms against the German colonisers and later the South African occupiers.

In line with United Nations resolution 435, Namibia obtained its independence in 1990 but the question of land - like in many other former colonies, notably Zimbabwe - was not dealt with adequately.

The euphoria of liberation and the excitement about freedom to vote in a nonracial system pushed some of the substantive issues such as land aside. There was a gentlemen's agreement that land would be distributed to the people on a willing seller, willing buyer arrangement. Given the need to protect private property, this was a sober approach to deal with a complex matter.

more
http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=234&fArticleId=361712

[AP]

10. Again, opinion without argument.

This is a short but sweet editorial in a paper, no doubt, cheerleading for wealth, commericial farmers, and neoliberalism.

It concludes with this:

The current landowners would be advised to co-operate fully with the Namibian government to ensure that a chaos-free land reform programme is undertaken. If they do not seize the opportunity to address the land question in a responsible manner, they stand to lose everything when the landless, supported by the government, opt for populism.

However, they don't spend any time explaining how it's less chaotic for society to have all the land owned buy people who stole and, and who use it to pad Swiss bank accounts selling tobacco to the rest of the world.

That sort of economic relationship has its own peculiar form of chaos, upon which the current land reform is a vast improvement (not to mention the violence and human rights violation which were required to perpectuate that form of economic chaos.

[seemslikeadream]

7. Namibian commercial farmers fear land grab

March 1, 2004

By Rosemary Nalisa

The Namibia Agricultural Union, says the announcement that farm expropriations will take place in the country has sent shockwaves through its agricultural community.

"It is shocking. It causes sorrow and disturbances in the farming community," said the union's president, Jan de Wet.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab said on state television that a number of white-owned farms would be expropriated to accelerate land reform.

"The situation also affects the surety of the farms, because financial institutions now regard them as risky investments, and farmers might in future struggle to get loans. The question is: Are we going the Zimbabwe way?"

At the start of 2000, Zimbabwe embarked on a violent land reform programme that has seen about 4 000 white-owned farms confiscated. A number of black peasant farmers have been resettled on the properties.

http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=129&fArticleId=361699

[AP]

8. Then you know it's a step in the right direction.