Namibia’s president-in-waiting Hifikepunye Pohamba says expropriations of white farms are ”going to happen” in his Southern African country but has pledged to ”talk, talk, talk” to make them as painless as possible.
In an interview with AFP, Pohamba portrayed himself as a man of dialogue who is sensitive to the impact that land reform will have on people’s lives.
”What we believe is just talk, talk, talk. If you don’t talk you won’t be able to find a solution. This we have said to ourselves, [this] is the issue, keeping talking one to another,” he said during the interview in Windhoek on Tuesday.
The 69-year-old leader is all but certain to step into the shoes of founding president and fellow struggle veteran Sam Nujoma, in power since Namibia’s independence from apartheid South African rule in 1990.
Pohamba was headed for victory following elections on Monday and Tuesday that were also set to hand the ruling South West African People’s Organisation (Swapo) a strong majority in Parliament.
Currently the Lands Minister, Pohamba will face his biggest test of leadership with land reform, conscious that he must address fears of Zimbabwe-style land grabs in his country.
About 4 000 farmers, the majority of whom are white, own 44% of arable land, an imbalance the government has vowed to redress with compensation and a peaceful transfer of land ownership.
”No land has been expropriated yet, but letters have been sent, it’s going to happen,” he said.
”You have to listen to the people when they talk,” Pohamba said, using the example of a farmer who came with his wife and his children, saying that they had nowhere to go after selling their farm to the government.
”Then you say: ‘OK, should I let them go on the road like other farmers have been doing to the farm workers? It will be inhuman if I do this.”’
Nujoma (75) said in October that during the next five years, 192 farms are to be expropriated and the farmers will be compensated.
In June, Pohamba sent about 20 letters to white farmers, asking them to set a price for the sale of their property to the state.
Pohamba said that his priorities for the future will be to foster ”peace and stability” to ensure economic growth and develop education. About 30% of children are still not being educated.
”Peace is the most important thing — it’s one of the main achievements since independence. Peace is the foundation of everything we want to do in this country,” the minister said.
”When I see other countries, particularly African countries, I feel that what we have done here is more than others that have been independent for the last 40 years.”
Pohamba admits that Namibia, where 30% of the population don’t have jobs and nearly half of inhabitants live below the poverty line, ”has poverty, has unemployment”.
”What can you do in order to get rid of poverty, what do you do to get rid of unemployment? You have to grow the economy,” he said.
”Once you grow the economy, people get employment, bread in their houses and their children will get an education.”
Apart from economic growth, education is another priority of Pohamba, who attended school for six years in an Anglican mission school in the north, starting at the age of 12.
On a lighter note, Pohamba said he enjoys driving around the country with his wife, who still works as a nurse, and five children.
His most enjoyable hours are spent in his village, looking ”after the cattle and goats, but just for a few days”.
”I hope that when I become a president, these things will not disappear,” he said of the simple pleasures. – Sapa-AFP