27 Jul 2016

Parliament has been informed that no farmers in Semowane area have exclusive land rights in the form of boreholes or any other land rights within Nata Bird Sanctuary land.

Answering a question on July 26 on behalf of the Minister of Lands and Housing, the Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Advocate Sadique Kebonang, said he was not aware of any relocation or compensation to be made to such farmers.

However, he said what he was  aware of was that Nata Bird Sanctuary did not fence all its allocated land and this resulted in farmers in Semowane continuing to graze and water their livestock within the sanctuary area.

Nevertheless, he said, the ministry of lands and housing had no plans to assist farmers affected by fencing of the Nata Bird Sanctuary and Makgadikgadi Management Plan. 

This was in view of the fact that the farmers did not have exclusive water rights in the form of boreholes or any land rights that were affected by fencing of the Nata Bird Sanctuary land.

MP for Nata/Gweta, Mr Polson Majaga, had asked the minister if he was aware that Semowane farmers in the Nata/Gweta Constituency who had some land rights were affected by the fencing of the Nata Bird Sanctuary and Makgadikgadi Management Plan but there was no relocation or compensation fee. 

He also wanted to know what plans were in place to help these farmers since their grazing land was taken. Ends