05 Oct 2014

Land boards will publish names of people on waiting lists in their notice boards in an endeavour to achieve transparency.

Speaking at kgotla meeting at Bodibeng in the Maun sub-region recently, the Minister of Lands and Housing, Mr Lebonaamang Mokalake said publishing of the names would allow applicants to see where they were in the lists.

Minister Mokalake also pointed that there was a land policy in the pipeline, which would allow a person to own one plot only and will be unlawful to sell the plot. He informed Bodibeng residents that the 10-point agenda aimed to bring solution to problems of customers’ dissatisfaction in his ministry.

Furthermore, he said the agenda addressed issues of transparency, bureaucracy, corruption and delay in addressing queries amongst others. Meanwhile, Minister Mokalake cautioned Bodibeng residents to guard against selling their plots since another copper mine, Khoemacau was to start operation in the vicinity of their village.

He said mine exploration brought both the good and bad, adding that there was a chance for the developments in the village, but it could bring bad things like theft. Mr Mokalake assured the people who have applied for ranches that a solution will come before the end of November this year.

He said although the ranches were demarcated, there was a stoppage to the allocation in Bodibeng because some were affected by the Khoemacau Copper mine, noting that government gave priority to mines since they brought income to the country. 

Bodibeng Kgosi Paul Mbaeva in his welcome remarks raised concerns about the ranches, which he said were demarcated in 2005.

Kgosi Mbaeva said his people were happy about the ranches demarcation since they already own boreholes but the delay in allocations led to lack of development of the ranches.

The residents said they were happy with the mine and hoped for job opportunities, however, they said they were once promised job opportunities at the initial stage of BOSETO Copper mine in Toteng, but only a few of them were absorbed by the mine. Ends