‘Too old for resettlement’ … //Kharas farmers stranded

Dalene Kooper

KEETMANSHOOP – Pensioner farmers Settie and Maria Saal, who farm near Stampriet in the Hardap region, have turned to the media as a last resort after their landlord sold the land where they were living and farming, leaving them stranded with nowhere to keep their livestock.

They said some local councillors had told them they were too old to acquire land or be resettled.

The Saal couple have been farming with goats and sheep, as well as maintaining a garden, since 1998. They moved from place to place until settling in 2015 on privately owned land, where they paid monthly rent to farm.

“Our landlord sold his land because he is also growing old and can no longer manage the farm. We are not sure whether the new owner will allow us to continue farming there,” Maria said. The couple are now seeking another piece of land, as their animals are roaming in open fields near roads and are exposed to danger.

They once had more than 200 goats and sheep and earned a stable income from their stock, but have since lost 160 animals.