Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698753349463.pdf (Namibia)
Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee, Honourable Members, 1.

I rise before this August House with a deep sense of appreciation to introduce Vote 25 for the Ministry of Land Reform for the 2017/2018 Financial Year and to seek your support and approval.

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2.

At this juncture, before I proceed, let me inform this August House that during the implementation of the 2013/2017 Strategic Plan, the Ministry a 750/0 execution rate, where 25 farms measuring 155,000 achieved hectares were acquired at a cost of Two Hundred and Forty One Million Namibian Dollars (N$241 million) against the target of 98,000 hectares where 104 farmers were resettled, surpassing the annual target of 63 farmers per annum.
Having said that, more still needs to be done if adequate funding is prioritised under the Land Acquisition and Resettlement programme.

3.

Land Reform is akey and strategic programme in our National Develo pment Agenda.

Land issues affect all N amibians across social, economic and political divide as articulated by His Excellency, the President, Dr. Hage Geingob, during his address on Namibia's Independence Day in Rundu.

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4.

I also want to support the Budget that was presented by the Minister of Finance, Honourable Calle Schlettwein earlier in this House and appreciate the efforts of the Minister of Economic Affairs and Director General of the National Planning Commission, their Permanent Secretaries and the entire team of dedicated staff for a job well executed.

Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee, Honourable Members, 5.. Land matters have in recent months become a centre of focus.
I have followed such debates with a keen interest.

I believe the discussions are necessary because of the importance of land to our national development agenda.

6.
The Ministry of Land Reform has set the following Targets to achieve: 5 million hectares of agricultural 2020 under the National Resettlement Programme; (commercial) land to be acquired by 5 million hectares of land in communal areas developed into Small Scale Commercial Farming Units by 2020; 45 families previously landless N amibians to be resettled National Resettlement Programme by 2019/2020 Financial Year under the Establishing a fundamental 2017/2018 spatial data set with coverage of 90% by Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee, Honourable Members, 7.
Whilst tabling this motivation for Vote 25,the Ministry acknowledges the various initiatives embodied within the Fifth National Development Plan [NDP5] that are earmarked to address the socio-economic development of our country through improved project implementation and the targeted efforts to mitigate the challenges of unemployment.
The Ministry's four key programmes are premised on the national understanding for the need to create employment opportunities, eradicate poverty and inequality in the distribution of economic benefits and to contribute towards a sustained economic growth.

8.

Having said the above, I now have the pleasure to present the 2017/2018 budget for the Ministry of Land Reform, together with the highlights of achievements.
The 2017/2018 Budget as expressed in its Medium Term Plan will focus on four key programmes namely: Programme 1: Land Reform Programme The Land Reform Programme encompasses the following activities; - Land acquisition - Land allocation - Valuation, Property Taxation and Estate Management, and - Land management and Administration.

Land acquisition and allocation 9.


In order to respond to the need for land the Ministry has acquired 512 farms translating into 3.1 million hectares at a cost ofN$I.7 billion while 5291 families were resettled since independence.

To meet the set target of 5 million hectares by 2020 the Ministry is still to acquire 1.9 million hectares which translates to an annual acquisition target of Fifty Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Seventy Eight hectares (52,778ha).
(a) Water infrastructure development and rehabilitation During the 2016/2017 Financial Year, the Ministry drilled four boreholes on resettlement farms two (2) in Omaheke Region and two in Kunene region.

During the same period sixty boreholes were rehabilitated as follows: Twenty in Otjozondjupa, Six in Oshikoto and Twenty - Nine in Kunene region.

While 60 boreholes were installed with water in the following regions.

Forty - Nine in Omaheke, Nine in IIKh~rasand two in Otjozondjupa region.
The Ministryspent Sixty EightMini,Qn~mibi8n infrastructures Dollars (N$68 million) on water infrastructure development.

(b) Fence infrastructure development on resettlement farms During the 2016/2017 Financial Year, the Ministry rehabilitated fencing on thirty one resettlement farming units in Eight Regions.

The current Resettlement Model entails the subdivision of one single farm into two or more economic unit depending on the Agro-ecological Region.
These subdivisions are then planned, demarcated, advertised and allocated to different farmers as single units hence the need to provide fencing infrastructure to improve farm productivity.

The Ministry spent Twenty Six Million Namibian Dollars (N$26 million) in the rehabilitation of fences Valuation, Property Taxation and Estate Management 10.

The Ministry of Land Reform is mandated to impose tax on commercial agricultural land.
This sub-programme is aimed at strengthening the Land Valuation and Taxation regulations on commercial agricultural land.

Since an amount of N$335' million was collected the inception in 2004/2005, through land tax to the benefit of Land Acquisition and Development Fund, while during the 2016/2017 tax year an amount ofN$19 million was collected as at February 2017.

The Land Tax Payment and Reconciliation System was developed in order to strengthen the enforcement of tax.

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Furthermore due to severe drought experienced during 2016- 201 7, land tax exemptions were granted to 866 farmers which translates to N$ 3.6 million.

For the efficient management and administration of this Programme the Ministry requires an amount Three Hundred and Eighteen Million, Two Hundred and Seven Thousand Namibian Dollars (N$318,207,000).
Programme 2: Security of Tenure Registration of communal land rights Under this programme, the Ministry is settoregister land rights in communal areas to ensure security of tenure.

During the 2016/2017 Financial Year, the Ministry registered Twenty Five Thousand, Nine Hundred and Eighty land rights.

The Ministry is implementing the Four (25, 984) communal programme with the financial and technical support through the Namibian - German co-operation and the European Commission.
To implement the Ministry requires an amount of Sixteen Million, this Programme, Seven Hundred and Seventy Nine Thousand Namibian Dollars (N$16,779,000) Programme Establishment 3: National Spatial Data of Fundamental Datasets Infrastructure and Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee, Honourable Members, Namibia is one of the few countries in Africa with a reliable National Geospatial Data Infrastructure in Africa.
To maintain this status, a regular cyclical acquisition of aerial images arid revision of topographic datasets strategy has been developed.

In the last Financial Year, the following tasks were carried out.

to operationalize The Draft Bill Demarcation Commission Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2014, has been completed.

created in terms of the Boundaries Delimitation (BDDC) and the third Development of Data sets for Town land, Street and Social services for .
Otjiwarongo and Rundu was completed Contours for Zambezi Region were created in addition to a Regional Tourist Map for the Kunene Region.

The geospatial activities to be executed in the 2017/18 Financial Year, will include: Tabling of the Boundaries Delimitation and Demarcation Commission Bill.

Signing of the Boundary Treaty between Namibia and Botswana.

The revision of the topographic datasets for Kavango East, Kavango West and Otjozondjupa Regions.
Acquisition of aerial and IIKaras Region, and the images and production of Ortho-photos for Hardap Revision of Erongo Region Topographic Dataset.

To execute the tasks listed under this programme, the Ministry requires an amount of Thirty Eight Million, Eight Hundred and Five Thousand Namibian Dollars (N$38,805,OOO).

Programme 4.
Programme 4.

Policy, Supervision and Support Services this programme encompasses the following activities; Policy supervision Coordination and Support Services Planning, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of Projects and Programmes Acquisition and Maintenance of IT Equipment and Systems.

12.The purpose of this programme is to provide support to the entire Land Reform and Resettlement Programme.
The main focus is to supervise and coordinate the Ministry's activities and operations which include; the development, application, implementation, execution and formulation of in accordance with legislative requirements and national objectives.

This programme also provides for the development of the monitoring and evaluation system that enable the provision of regular and timely updates to the National Planning relevant policies interpretation, Commission on capital projects.
The Ministry requires (Seventy Nine Million, Six Hundred and Thirty Three Thousand Namibian Dollars (N$79,633,OOO)to implement this programme.

13.

In conclusion, and re-emphasise I would like to acknowledge the importance of the Land Reform programme to the overall development objectives of our country.

Over the years we have observed an extreme decline in the Ministry's allocation.
During the current Financial Year, the Ministry of Land Reform requires an amount of Four Hundred and Fifty Three Million, Four Hundred and Twenty Four Thousand Namibian Dollars (N$453,424,OOO)to implement all the four (4) Programmes, and I require your support to approve this allocation.

I thank you.