Windhoek: Chairperson of the Council of Traditional Authorities, Chief Immanuel Gaseb, has voiced strong opposition to the Land Bill being debated in the National Assembly, asserting that traditional leaders will not endorse the proposed legislation.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Gaseb addressed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Urban and Rural Development and Land Reform, where he criticized the Bill's provisions concerning the administration of communal land. He argued that these provisions would undermine the authority of traditional leaders. Gaseb highlighted that the Bill, introduced by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani in September 2025, violates the Council of Traditional Leaders Act of 1997. This Act mandates that any draft legislation affecting communal land should be presented to the Council of Traditional Leaders for input prior to introduction in the National Assembly.

Gaseb expressed his concerns, stating, "It is what I know. It's in the Act, the Council of Traditional Leaders Act, and that Act is not amended. Now I hear the land must be taken over by the Land Board and traditional leaders have nothing to say over the land." He further questioned the relevance of traditional leaders if their authority over land management is removed, stressing the potential implications for the role of traditional leadership in Namibia.

Gaseb called on Parliament to pause the debate on the Land Bill and to organize an urgent consultation meeting with traditional leaders, as per the requirements of the Council of Traditional Leaders Act.

Minister Zaamwani, when presenting the Land Bill, stated that its objective is to unify existing land laws into a comprehensive Land Act, encompassing the Agricultural (Commercial) Land Reform Act and the Communal Land Reform Act. The Bill also proposes the formation of a centralized land tribunal to address land-related disputes and the establishment of land committees to manage land issues within non-recognized traditional authorities.