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Redistributive land reform in Namibia is widely regarded as a precondition for sustainable rural development and poverty alleviation. This paper briefly discusses the development of thinking on land reform and the development of land reform models prior to Independence. It refers to progress on land redistribution since 1990 and discusses some of the problems experienced.A brief analysis of the history of the land question, socio-economic developments since Independence and future budget allocations leads to the conclusion that the pace of land reform is not likely to increase in the short to medium term. A few suggestions are made on how land reform can be supported. (author)The paper concludes that land reform in Namibia has progressed at a very slow pace. While a number of freehold farms have been purchased for resettlement, government has not been able to meet the demands of the poor and unemployed. Reform is not anticipated to play a major role in poverty alleviation.The author highlights how communities subsisting on non-freehold land are still waiting for appropriate legislation. It is suggested that the interests of those who have fenced off communal pastures are likely to stall attempts to implement meaningful tenure reform. The challenge remains to develop reform options that are sustainable in the long run, both socio-economically and environmentally.
