IPC Slams Traditional Leaders for Systemic Land Allocation Mess

Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) shadow minister Armas Amukoto has blamed traditional authorities for systemic land allocation failures, including corruption, favouritism and the exclusion of vulnerable communities. The shadow minister of urban and rural development took to social media on Monday to express his disappointment in the handling of land allocation. “Traditional authorities must take full responsibility and accountability for the failures within the land allocation system. These failures include double allocations, biased decision-making, corruption, and favouritism,” he says. His response comes after minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa told Windhoek Observer this week that the fatal shooting of headmen under the Ondonga Traditional Authority in the Oshikoto region is due to the systemic failures of the Communal Land Board. Sankwasa said communal land boards have become a source of conflict rather than resolution, and his ministry would collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform to conduct a comprehensive review of all such boards. Amukoto says the minister is incorrectly interpreting the Communal Land Reform Act. He says the allocation of communal land is the sole responsibility of traditional authorities, while communal land boards’ role is limited to verifying and endorsing allocations already made. Amukoto yesterday told The Namibian that the lack of clear, transparent and standardised procedures for land allocation has resulted in land being disproportionately awarded to prominent or well-connected individuals. He said vulnerable and less-resourced community members are consistently excluded and marginalised. “Communal land is legally held in trust by traditional authorities for the benefit of the entire community, yet this principle is frequently not upheld. “Communal land has increasingly become a source of personal income for those in control, often going to the highest bidder despite the low official registration fees. Such practices clearly indicate systemic failure,” Amukoto said. To address this, he suggests that headmen only be authorised to issue preliminary approvals and that all applications be submitted to the Communal Land Board for thorough investigation and recommendation, followed by the final approval of the dedicated independent oversight body. Amukoto suggested a monthly or yearly allowance for traditional leaders and headmen based at the villages they serve, and that they should not employed on a full-time basis elsewhere. He said traditional authorities should have a database of land applications to avoid duplication. Council of Traditional Authorities chairperson Immanuel |Gaseb yesterday said he would meet with stakeholders this month to discuss the issue, among others. Former Dâure Daman chief Zacharias Seibeb says the government’s lack of engagement is to be blamed for some of the systemic failures, and the land bill seeking to make chiefs powerless. This is an illustration of traditional leaders being disregarded, he says.