Land reform can help people out of poverty – Kameeta

March 30th, 2015 | by New Era Staff Reporter

WINDHOEK – Minister of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare Bishop Zephania Kameeta has said government, under the Ministry of Land Reform, would have to go back to the drawing board and hold constructive national dialogue to review achievements and challenges regarding the land question.

Kameeta was speaking in the capital on Wednesday at the launch of a film by Thorsten Schutte that touches on the key aspects of access to quality education, health services, the land question, labour matters and various social grants and initiatives that government has initiated to assist the most marginalised in the society.

"The key aspects we must address are how land reform can assist people to get out of poverty and address related challenges such as improved rural livelihoods and the housing crisis in urban centres," Kameeta said.

He said this must include restoring the dignity of citizens living in the so-called informal settlements or squatter camps.

"Apart from access to land, rural communities also require a range of other inputs like training in management, agricultural skills and better infrastructure for increased economic activity towards poverty reduction," said the minister.

He said the majority of Namibians were left landless, poor and marginalised, therefore, he was not surprised that the very first National Conference in independent Namibia was about the land question.

Kameeta said he is pleased that President Hage Geingob has pledged to prioritise poverty eradication, adding that it is the duty of all citizens to support the incoming leadership and to hold us accountable to the struggle for a better Namibia.

"We need the active and practical involvement of all Namibians and institutions to constructively work towards the eradication of poverty in Namibia," he stressed.

The minister said one of the issues raised in the film is the lack of co-ordination of various government services and the bureaucracy and "bottlenecks" that prevent ordinary citizens from accessing the already available government services, including social grants, therefore, there is a need to insist on collaboration between various government departments and agencies both at national and sub-national levels to better serve our people.

"Decentralisation in all sectors and at all levels is an urgent requirement as provided for by the Constitution and the decentralisation enabling legislation," he added.

The Namibia Broadcasting Corporation will screen the documentary next Sunday.