Swapo pulls back Land Bill JEMIMA BEUKES The Land Bill has been withdrawn from the National Assembly following a string of criticisms and complaints that it is riddled with shortcomings.
Lands minister Utoni Nujoma yesterday informed the House that he was compelled to withdraw the bill in the light of the many questions raised by parliamentarians during the debate.
“The bill will be back next year, we need to have proper consensus on the bill,” he said.
The withdrawal follows calls by opposition members of parliament that the bill be reconsidered and only tabled after a land conference is held that will take all viewpoints in consideration.
Swanu’s Usutuaije Maamberua this week said the bill could never be effective if it did not address the question of ancestral land.
According to him, the government has failed communities because it does not explain in the bill what mechanism or plans are in place to address the dispossession of land.
Nujoma said yesterday that the bill had nothing to do with ancestral land, as it was only an administrative bill.
“Most of the things raised here do not have anything to do with the Land Bill. I have noted all the questions and will reply to each one when we discuss the bill again next year,” he said.