Uncertainty over labour issues frustrates agricultural sector
Calls for urgent policy action
Namibia's farming sector faces legal uncertainty, policy delays, and unanswered concerns over labour rights.
Jacques du ToitFarmers are calling for urgent government action on three unresolved issues affecting Namibia’s agricultural sector: the status of generational farm workers, the employment of undocumented foreigners, and the lack of response from the labour ministry to formal wage-related correspondence.
Speaking at the 37th annual congress of the Agricultural Employers’ Association, chairperson Christine Stoman said the agriculture community supports the call by agriculture minister Inge Zaamwani for “dignified and sustainable solutions” for generational farm workers. This issue has been under discussion since 2018, when Resolution No. 7 was adopted at the Second National Land Conference, which required the government to develop policies to protect such workers, including providing alternative housing or allocating land.
Stoman noted that since 2019, the Namibia Agricultural Union’s Farm Workers’ Project has encouraged farm owners to help long-serving workers secure plots in nearby towns for retirement. “We are also encouraging members to assist with savings plans for their old age,” she said.
However, she warned that the key term remains undefined. “The term ‘generational farm worker’ still needs an official definition,” Stoman stressed. A technical working group formed to advance Resolution 7 has not met for a year due to a lack of ministerial participation.
Clarity sought about foreign workers
Another major concern is the threat of jail time for employing undocumented foreigners, following recent comments by home affairs minister Lucia Iipumbu.
Stoman said this issue must be addressed constructively. “We need a win-win situation for both the workers and the employers,” she said, calling for employers to be exempted from prosecution until clear guidelines are in place.
She also pointed to long-ignored challenges related to undocumented Angolans and Namibians without birth certificates, particularly in border regions. These communities continue to live without legal status or access to public services.
No response to minimum wage letters
Finally, Stoman criticised the labour ministry for failing to respond to multiple letters regarding the national minimum wage.
“Another disappointment is the fact that the ministry has not yet reacted to the letter sent in April,” she said. “In 2024, three letters were ignored. This does not bode well.”