AR welcomes Geingob’s willingness to negotiate as deadline looms

namib times 21-07-15

The land issue in Namibia is approaching boiling point, with the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) Movement’s 30 July – deadline to get land, less than two weeks away. The AR yesterday welcomed President Hage Geingob’s press statement which surfaced on Friday, in which he expressed his wil-

lingness to engage in dialogue with AR leaders.

The land activists commented on Geingob’s press statement yesterday, saying they welcome the statement and are willing to engage in dialogue, with the view to find a solution.

However, the AR’s statement continues, saying, “With 11 days left to the date of 31 July 2015, the date which will bring a total of 9 months for government, through its local authorities, to provide land for residential purposes to our youth, we remain determined to occupy land for residential purposes.

We are ready for anything, jail or death, we will occupy land. This struggle will not be suppressed. No surrender, No retreat!”

In his statement, the President said “the actions taken by the Swapo Party Politburo to expel its members, due to ill-discipline, have no bearing on Government’s position to engage on the pressing land and decent shelter issue faced by the country.”

The statement further described the demand for each Namibian to have decent shelter, as a legiti-

mate demand, but it further stated that the said deadline for land delivery was “either ill-conceived or insincere.”

The Legal Assistance Centre in another press release yesterday, expressed their concern about the matter.

They have called upon the landless and AR movement to seriously consider how their actions might move Namibia to a place where it has not been since independence, “a place of civil unrest and strife.” They furthermore urge the Government to address these concerns, by lawful means, with real urgency.

Meanwhile, coastal youths are setting the social media abuzz, clarifying their readiness to “grab land, die or go to prison, come 31 July 2015”, should land not be allocated to the landless on the deadline date of 30 July. 

The newspaper sent an email, addressed to the newly-elected Swakopmund Mayor, Nehemia Salomon, asking what the Swakopmund Municipality’s position is on this issue, and what their plans are. Their very brief response read, “Yes, the Swakopmund Municipa-

lity is aware of the threat, but the matter is receiving the necessary attention.”

The AR started the Movement, comprising mass land applications from landless youths countrywide, on 21 November 2014 and gave the Namibian Government until 30 July 2015 to come up with an amicable solution on this matter. Should the two parties not reach an agreement by 30 July, the AR threatens to kick-start a mass land-grabbing action, commencing on the morning of 31 July. The Movement was started by Job Amupanda, George Kambala and Dimbulukeni Nauyoma.