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Opposition calls on Germany to fund land reform

One of Namibia’s main opposition parties has called on former colonial power Germany to provide financial aid for its land reform programme, Namibian news reports said Thursday.

Speaking during a parliamentary debate on Tuesday, Katuutire Kaura, leader of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) claimed that Germany was responsible for the situation in Namibia and had a moral obligation to financially support land reform in Namibia.

Meanwhile, secretary-general of the ruling SWAPO party, Hifkepunye Pohamba, said in parliament that government could invoke a clause in the constitution to expropriate land from owners who were unwilling to sell their land to the government. The Namibian constitution says “the state or a competent body or organ authorised by law may expropriate property in the public interest subject to the payment of just compensation”.

According to media reports, since 1995 the Namibian government has resettled 20,000 people on land bought by the government on a “willing buyer, willing seller” basis.


This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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