Land reform in Namibia is one of the key questions still awaiting a solution that
satisfies the majority of the population. The backdrop to the land question was a
process of land dispossession which brought approximately 43 per cent of all
agricultural land into the hands of white settlers. In view of the fact that the
contribution to GDP of commercial agriculture is less than 10 per cent and taking into
consideration the risks associated with commercial farming in an arid or semi-arid
environment, the question arises why land reform continues to be such a hotly
contested issue.