Namibian Land Reform
AKM:
Impressions of Africa
Nr 2 Africa
CD BS 10A-01
Maikani 42 secs.
South African Souvenirs
Volume 2 Tel CD 2805
Nr. 3 Ma Africa 50 secs
L. Mohale Universal Music
South African Souvenirs
Nr. 5 Ka Lifu Laka 57 secs.
Introduction [studio link]
Since Namibian president Sam Nujoma embraced and applauded Zimbabwes Robert Mugabe at the UN summit in Johannesburg last year, farmers in Namibia have been scared of losing their farms like their counterparts in Zimbabwe. There was pride in Zimbabwes land reform policy where some saw that an African had finally shown the Europeans where to go. Shortly after his return from Johannesburg Nujoma proposed that the current land ownership in Namibia could not remain the same. Nujoma wants to expropriate the land of 192 farmers all of them owned by foreigners who dont spend the whole year in Namibia. But other white farmers are also scared of losing their farms.
TEXT
Pictures start 0:00
Text starts 0:02
Duerreland, Namibia the farm of Gerd Woelbling, Namibian citizen. His forefathers came to the country in 1908. The Woelbling family owns two farms - together they total about 10,000 hectares. Gerd, whos 30 years old, fears that may be seen as too much after the Namibian president unmistakably told the world press and his countrymen that land ownership in Namibia has to change.
0:40
O-sound
Gerd Woelbling
Farmer
(in German)
With the farms that are going to be taken, the people who are interested, people who have already made it, theyve put aside the money the people with a high position in the government, those who have a high income. Unfortunately, thats just how it is. Youre not battling against poverty, just changing the colour of the skins of the people who own the farms.
1:12
Like others, Gerd fears it will be the supporters of the Namibian government which will profit under the banner of Land Reform. Gerd Woelbling wants to sell one of his farms just in case things in Namibia go the same way as they have in Zimbabwe where white farmers had their land occupied and expropriated. However, some farm workers defend the presidents intentions.
1:40
Matthew Shiningeni
Farm worker
(in English)
Its really against the farmers who are discriminating against their black workers. Theyre not treating them well. Sometimes they are calling them baboons which was an expression that was being said in the colonial era. I think these are the farmers that the president is targeting.
2:04
Namibia has been independent since March 1990. After German colonial rule came the South Africans. A huge proportion of arable land is still in white hands. The 1.8 million blacks have to use fields of communal land. Politicians who are facing elections next year, are promising a fair distribution of land to the blacks. The divided government party needs every vote it can get.
2:39
Risto Kappenda is president of the Namibian Trade Unions and rails against the Europeans.
2:54
Risto Kappenda
Trade Unionist
(in English)
The politicians are going to go ahead to say they are going to pay for this. However, they dont have support for the mission to pay people who killed our people for the land and occupied the land. Its our policy in this country that we dont pay for a stolen good.
3:09
These are words the poor people in their shacks in the black township of Katutura like to hear. Over half the population of the capital Windhoek live here. Every morning buses take them to the better parts of town to work. Others try often in vain to find a job.
3:41
O-sound
Hifikepunye Pohamba
Minister of Agriculture
(in English)
If we see those who are having their land not parting with their land we fear that the situation may come, that we in the government may not be able to control. And, once we reach a point of not being able to control this situation in this country, then you will have a country which will have no governance. In other words anarchy.
4:12
For foreign landowners in Namibia land thats particularly bad news and maybe too for Max Kuckner. After independence, the Austrian bought this 10000 hectare wild game farm and invested a lot of money. The 52 year old has a large wild animal population on his game farm. He imported seven species of animals. He also trained the 15 staff. Theres a disparity in Namibias actions. On one hand they court foreign investment, but on the other hand they deter it. Foreigners, but also local landowners, are taking a wait and see policy. Max Kluckner hopes his game farm will not be expropriated because he spends most of the year there.
5:09
5:12 off
Max Kuckner
Game farm owner
(in German)
Its been clearly said that foreigners in this country who have a farm but are here only for a few weeks, who come on vacation and use the infrastructure of the country but dont do anything for it, that they pay less tax but dont invest or provide jobs that they are no longer wanted in this country, and in the future their farms will be expropriated.
5:43
That maybe the case with Franz Zehetner. He and his wife came to visit Namibia three times and fell in love with the country. For seven years now hes been the proud owner of a large farm. He wouldnt say how many hectares he works but its big. The Zehetner family has 100 head of cattle and almost as many goats so the black workers can eat meat.
6:15
O-sound
Franz Zehetner
Farm owner
(in German)
We have livestock, like the others who are here all the time. Its the amount we need for whats eaten here on the farm by the blacks that live here with us. Theres no difference if were here or not. The land produces only so much in a year. If you take the land away there will be anarchy. No one will invest in it anymore. No one will do it.
7:15
O-sound
Eva Maria Zehetner
(in German)
No one knows whats going to happen. We could be threatened like we were in Zimbabwe and that would be terrible. Weve always said that if the farm is taken without compensation or occupied then well leave. Then we wouldnt have anything more to lose.
7:31
It would also be bad for the farm workers if the land ownership went the same way as it did in Zimbabwe. They would be the first victims.
7:47
Emmanuel Ismael
Farm worker
It wouldnt work if all the white people leave and only the blacks stay here. That wouldnt be so good. Blacks and whites have to live together as a family.
8:06
Sophia and Emmanuel grew up on this farm. Its their home. Agriculture in Duerreland Namibia is rarely profitable. It needs investment. But the hunger for land could one day take away the living of the Europeans, endanger their children and make life more difficult for the black farm workers.
ends
Reporter: Marion Mayer-Hohdahl
Camera: Simon Wilke
VT editor: Frank Huzij
AKM:
Impressions of Africa
Nr 2 Africa
CD BS 10A-01
Maikani 42 secs.
South African Souvenirs
Volume 2 Tel CD 2805
Nr. 3 Ma Africa 50 secs
L. Mohale Universal Music
South African Souvenirs
Nr. 5 Ka Lifu Laka 57 secs.
Introduction [studio link]
Since Namibian president Sam Nujoma embraced and applauded Zimbabwes Robert Mugabe at the UN summit in Johannesburg last year, farmers in Namibia have been scared of losing their farms like their counterparts in Zimbabwe. There was pride in Zimbabwes land reform policy where some saw that an African had finally shown the Europeans where to go. Shortly after his return from Johannesburg Nujoma proposed that the current land ownership in Namibia could not remain the same. Nujoma wants to expropriate the land of 192 farmers all of them owned by foreigners who dont spend the whole year in Namibia. But other white farmers are also scared of losing their farms.
TEXT
Pictures start 0:00
Text starts 0:02
Duerreland, Namibia the farm of Gerd Woelbling, Namibian citizen. His forefathers came to the country in 1908. The Woelbling family owns two farms - together they total about 10,000 hectares. Gerd, whos 30 years old, fears that may be seen as too much after the Namibian president unmistakably told the world press and his countrymen that land ownership in Namibia has to change.
0:40
O-sound
Gerd Woelbling
Farmer
(in German)
With the farms that are going to be taken, the people who are interested, people who have already made it, theyve put aside the money the people with a high position in the government, those who have a high income. Unfortunately, thats just how it is. Youre not battling against poverty, just changing the colour of the skins of the people who own the farms.
1:12
Like others, Gerd fears it will be the supporters of the Namibian government which will profit under the banner of Land Reform. Gerd Woelbling wants to sell one of his farms just in case things in Namibia go the same way as they have in Zimbabwe where white farmers had their land occupied and expropriated. However, some farm workers defend the presidents intentions.
1:40
Matthew Shiningeni
Farm worker
(in English)
Its really against the farmers who are discriminating against their black workers. Theyre not treating them well. Sometimes they are calling them baboons which was an expression that was being said in the colonial era. I think these are the farmers that the president is targeting.
2:04
Namibia has been independent since March 1990. After German colonial rule came the South Africans. A huge proportion of arable land is still in white hands. The 1.8 million blacks have to use fields of communal land. Politicians who are facing elections next year, are promising a fair distribution of land to the blacks. The divided government party needs every vote it can get.
2:39
Risto Kappenda is president of the Namibian Trade Unions and rails against the Europeans.
2:54
Risto Kappenda
Trade Unionist
(in English)
The politicians are going to go ahead to say they are going to pay for this. However, they dont have support for the mission to pay people who killed our people for the land and occupied the land. Its our policy in this country that we dont pay for a stolen good.
3:09
These are words the poor people in their shacks in the black township of Katutura like to hear. Over half the population of the capital Windhoek live here. Every morning buses take them to the better parts of town to work. Others try often in vain to find a job.
3:41
O-sound
Hifikepunye Pohamba
Minister of Agriculture
(in English)
If we see those who are having their land not parting with their land we fear that the situation may come, that we in the government may not be able to control. And, once we reach a point of not being able to control this situation in this country, then you will have a country which will have no governance. In other words anarchy.
4:12
For foreign landowners in Namibia land thats particularly bad news and maybe too for Max Kuckner. After independence, the Austrian bought this 10000 hectare wild game farm and invested a lot of money. The 52 year old has a large wild animal population on his game farm. He imported seven species of animals. He also trained the 15 staff. Theres a disparity in Namibias actions. On one hand they court foreign investment, but on the other hand they deter it. Foreigners, but also local landowners, are taking a wait and see policy. Max Kluckner hopes his game farm will not be expropriated because he spends most of the year there.
5:09
5:12 off
Max Kuckner
Game farm owner
(in German)
Its been clearly said that foreigners in this country who have a farm but are here only for a few weeks, who come on vacation and use the infrastructure of the country but dont do anything for it, that they pay less tax but dont invest or provide jobs that they are no longer wanted in this country, and in the future their farms will be expropriated.
5:43
That maybe the case with Franz Zehetner. He and his wife came to visit Namibia three times and fell in love with the country. For seven years now hes been the proud owner of a large farm. He wouldnt say how many hectares he works but its big. The Zehetner family has 100 head of cattle and almost as many goats so the black workers can eat meat.
6:15
O-sound
Franz Zehetner
Farm owner
(in German)
We have livestock, like the others who are here all the time. Its the amount we need for whats eaten here on the farm by the blacks that live here with us. Theres no difference if were here or not. The land produces only so much in a year. If you take the land away there will be anarchy. No one will invest in it anymore. No one will do it.
7:15
O-sound
Eva Maria Zehetner
(in German)
No one knows whats going to happen. We could be threatened like we were in Zimbabwe and that would be terrible. Weve always said that if the farm is taken without compensation or occupied then well leave. Then we wouldnt have anything more to lose.
7:31
It would also be bad for the farm workers if the land ownership went the same way as it did in Zimbabwe. They would be the first victims.
7:47
Emmanuel Ismael
Farm worker
It wouldnt work if all the white people leave and only the blacks stay here. That wouldnt be so good. Blacks and whites have to live together as a family.
8:06
Sophia and Emmanuel grew up on this farm. Its their home. Agriculture in Duerreland Namibia is rarely profitable. It needs investment. But the hunger for land could one day take away the living of the Europeans, endanger their children and make life more difficult for the black farm workers.
ends
Reporter: Marion Mayer-Hohdahl
Camera: Simon Wilke
VT editor: Frank Huzij