07 Feb 2016

Kazungula, Lesoma and Kachikau will have some of their land serviced as part of the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP). 

Speaking at a kgotla meeting in Kasane on Friday, the Minister of Lands and Housing, Mr Prince Maele said minimal servicing of plots in these villages would be carried out with Kazungula standing at 1 925 residential and 34 industrial plots to be serviced. 

“Minimal servicing means that we will create internal roads in these villages and connect water,” Mr Maele said.

He added that they would also service 444 and 828 residential plots in Lesoma and Kachikau respectively. 

He also revealed that currently Chobe had 10 977 plot applicants on the waiting list with Kazungula leading at 6 164 applications. 

On publicising waiting lists, the minister said he was opposed to the idea of advertising residential plots because that was an unfair system based on luck. 

He expressed concern about the increasing rate of sale of plots, and warned that those who sold plots would not be allocated more plots. 

“Currently in Kazungula we have 308 plots undergoing transfers for the period 2015/16 alone and that is worrisome,” he said.

The minister also complained about lease rentals not getting paid, highlighting that the Chobe Land Board was owed more than P2.2 million in outstanding lease rentals. 

He also said he had instructed his employees to repossess all residential plots that had not been developed beyond the set five year period. 

“I have, however, advised them to have a human face and listen to those who have valid reasons to extend their deadline by at least six months, but beyond that those plots will have to be repossessed and we will not entertain any more excuses,” he warned 

Regarding the Kasane/Kazungula re-development plan, Minister Maele noted that he had received a number of appeals from residents who were unhappy with the impending move to new plots. 

“From the number of appeals that I received, I was under the impression that Kasane residents were opposed to the re-development plan all together, but I was told that thorough consultations were done with residents,” he said. 

He implored residents to place the interests of their town ahead of their own for the sake of progress.

In their comments, most residents were in support of the Kasane/Kazungula facelift and opined that it continued as planned. 

One resident, Mr Sangwana Sangwana noted that the facelift was going to be a solution to a lot of problems faced by the township, and that it was in the interest of the district to proceed with the project. 

Another resident, Ms Edna Matengu said they were anxiously waiting to know when they would be expected to move to their new plots. 

Meanwhile, Mr Maele announced that the ministry had already secured P57 million to compensate those who would be affected by the development. 

He added that 300 plots had been identified to accommodate those who would be moved to give way to the development.   

Furthermore, he highlighted that he had met with Chobe councillors prior to the kgotla meeting, and had noted a number of concerns from them such as land shortage and the possibility of expanding land allocations into forest reserves. 

“While this is a good suggestion, forest reserves do not fall under my jurisdiction so I will have to take it up with the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism,” he said. Ends