En route to justice

Namibia has inched closer to its dream of resettling thousands of "land-hungry" and disadvantaged citizens through land reforms. The government recently completed the valuation of the country's commercial farmlands. This will help the ministry collect land tax from farm owners. The revenue so generate will be used to buy agricultural land for redistribution. The government is also drafting a land redistribution plan, which would be finalised by November 2004.

About 12,509 farms and plots were listed in the valuation roll handed over by Namibia's minister of lands, resettlement and rehabilitation, Hifikepunye Pohamba, to the valuation court. Copies of the list were made public last month and farm owners could raise objections, if any, to the valuation or get other corrections made in the list. "Only 285 objections were raised. The valuation court will hear these," Pohamba said. This will happen next month. The roll will then go to the finance ministry.