The ||Kharas Communal Land Board has called for the expansion of communal land in the region to ease pressure on existing farming areas. 

Members of the communal board made the call during an engagement with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban and Rural Development and Land Reform at Keetmanshoop.

The committee's series of oversight visits in the region aims to assess the quality of land administration. 

The board further advocated for youth and men to be eligible to serve on it. 

Currently, representation is limited to traditional authorities, the regional council, conservancies, rural communities, women in farming, and women with expertise relevant to the board functions. 

The standing committee's chairperson, Elifas Dingara, described the engagement as fruitful. 

"The discussion was robust; questions were big. Answers – sometimes you may not even differentiate between questions and answers and a serious statement. So, I like it; I enjoyed it. And I think as a committee, we have learnt, we have realised that you have the capacity to run the land issues here in ||Kharas on behalf of these people."

Unresolved conflict among traditional authorities and low revenue collection for communal leases were highlighted among the key challenges hampering the land board's smooth operation.

40% of the targeted communal lease fees were collected. 

The board ratified a total of 241 new customary rights in the 2024/2025 financial year and 220 in the current financial year.