Geingob said the appointment of the Commission as per Section 1 of the Commissions Act, 1947 (Act No. 8 of 1947) is in fulfillment of one of the resolutions of the Second Land Conference that was held last year.
During the land indaba in October 2018, repeated calls were made for the government to recognise ancestral land rights.
Several communities in central and southern Namibia were forcefully disposed of their during the intervening years of colonialism by the Germany and South Africa.
President Geingob said he given the complexity of ancestral land claims and in the interest of maintaining peace and stability in Namibia, the appointment of the Commission will ensure that the fundamental rights and freedoms contained in our Constitution are not infringed upon.
“In appointing you as members of the Commission of Inquiry into claims of Ancestral Land Rights and Restitution, I express my absolute confidence and trust in your abilities to execute the monumental task which lies before you,” Geingob told the 15-members of the Commission chaired by High Court Judge Shafimana Ueitele.