Govt suspends issuing of Kavango leaseholds
RUNDU – The land ministry has temporarily halted the issuing of communal land leaseholds in the Kavango East and Kavango West regions. This was said by minister Calle Schlettwein last week in a meeting with the leadership of the Kavango East region, which included governor Bonifasius Wakudumo, traditional authorities and farmers on land matters.
He said the ministry sent out a directive to all relevant offices dealing with leaseholds and the management of communal land, as well as the two regional governors, informing them of the moratorium.
In the directive issued in October 2020, Schlettwein said he was informed by the Kavango East Communal Land Board that it received about 300 applications seeking leaseholds, and they anticipate more.
“I have decided to put on hold all requests for rights of leaseholds for agricultural purposes, outside designated areas pending the outcome of the consultations,” Schlettwein said in the directive.
He said the ministry has received complaints from communities living in communal areas about private leaseholds that are fencing off large areas of land saying they feel excluded from utilising what they previously used.
The minister said this not only involves grazing areas, but water sources as well: “It is a serious concern. Communities feel that they are being pushed into marginal positions and we need to look at it,” Schlettwein emphasised.
The second reason for the moratorium, he said, is that people feel that the criteria used by the ministry to determine whether the leaseholds are favourable or not, are thoroughly undeveloped, meaning they need to be reviewed.
Schlettwein said to be accountable, criteria need to be developed that will allow authorities to give reasons why they should issue a leasehold or not.
“We must account to the public on why we say yes and we must have a process that makes us accountable and transparent so that we can explain ourselves and our decisions,” said the minister.
He further said it is better for both authorities linked to deals with leaseholds and the management of land in communal areas to have the responsibility of being accountable.