OTJINENE: The Deputy Minister of Lands and Resettlement, Theo Diergaardt has praised the Otjinene farming communities for their contribution to the success of the on-going communal land registration.

Diergaardt, who was in Otjinene to officiate at the handover of communal land rights certificates to the constituency’s first recipients, said farmers here have taken a leading example by completing the registration process in large numbers.

Although the land registration exercise, spearheaded by the lands and resettlement ministry, has had a lukewarm reception amongst many farming communities in the Omaheke region, Diergaardt said Otjinene proved to be the exception.

“The land registration project here at Otjinene has been a huge success since its inception in 2008. The task which has led to this historic occasion can be summed up as a success because most of the residents of Otjinene now have their land rights certificates which confirm their right to existing customary land rights,” he said.

The deputy lands minister called on the traditional authority to take a lead in informing its subjects on the importance of land right registration, adding that the functions of the communal land boards and the relevant traditional authorities are closely linked when it comes to such project.

“The registration is for the primary purpose of tenure security for all. This means a land right holder will have peace of mind and not always fearing ‘will I be removed from this place?’
“By registering and having a written proof of entitlement to the land one can be rest assured that the investment made to the land will benefit his or her dependents,” he noted.

According to Diergaardt, the effective and transparent management of communal land in the country hinges on the completion of a communal land register, which will be compiled after the communal land right registration process has been completed.

A total of 1,018 land rights have been verified and issued in the Omaheke Region – 355 of which were verified in the Otjinene constituency alone. On Thursday, 15 of these Otjinene communal farmers received their land rights certificates from the deputy minister.

Since Namibia’s independence in 1990, local and central land administration authorities have struggled to protect communal areas against encroachment from intensifying demand for land. In some cases, influential citizens have appropriated large areas of communal land – sometimes with authorisation and sometimes without – and erected fences that prevent the community from accessing grazing areas and other vital resources such as water.

Most communities have historically lacked the tools to effectively control misallocations of communal land or to sustainably manage its use, often resulting in overuse and degradation. The line ministry has as such set February 2014 as deadline for the registration of land registration of land rights for the country.
(edited)OTJINENE) – The Deputy Minister of Lands and Resettlement, Theo Diergaardt has praised the Otjinene farming communities for their contribution to the success of the on-going communal land registration.

Diergaardt, who was in Otjinene to officiate at the handover of communal land rights certificates to the constituency’s first recipients, said farmers here have taken a leading example by completing the registration process in large numbers.

Although the land registration exercise, spearheaded by the lands and resettlement ministry, has had a lukewarm reception amongst many farming communities in the Omaheke Region, Diergaardt said Otjinene proved to be the exception.

“The land registration project here at Otjinene has been a huge success since its inception in 2008. The task which has led to this historic occasion can be summed up as a success because most of the residents of Otjinene now have their land rights certificates which confirm their right to existing customary land rights,” he said.

The deputy minister then called on the traditional authority to take a lead in informing its subjects on the importance of land rights registration, adding that the functions of the communal land boards and the relevant traditional authorities are closely linked when it comes to such projects.

“The registration is for the primary purpose of tenure security for all. This means a land right holder will have peace of mind and not always fear ‘will I be removed from this place?’. By registering and having a written proof of entitlement to the land, one can be rest assured that the investment made to the land will benefit one’s dependents,” he noted.

According to Diergaardt, the effective and transparent management of communal land in the country hinges on the completion of a communal land register, which will be compiled after the communal land right registration process has been completed.

A total of 1 018 land rights certificates have been verified and issued in the Omaheke Region – 355 of which were verified in the Otjinene Constituency alone. On Thursday, 15 of these Otjinene communal farmers received their land rights certificates from the deputy minister.

Since Namibia’s independence in 1990, local and central land administration authorities have struggled to protect communal areas against encroachment from intensifying demand for land. In some cases, influential citizens have appropriated large areas of communal land – sometimes with authorisation and sometimes without – and erected fences that prevent the community from accessing grazing areas and other vital resources such as water.

Most communities have historically lacked the tools to effectively control misallocations of communal land or to sustainably manage its use, often resulting in overuse and degradation. The line ministry has as such set February 2014 as deadline for the registration of land registration of land rights for the country.