17 Aug 2016

The Minister of Lands and Housing, Mr Prince Maele has informed residents of Mababe that their land cannot be changed to a freehold because government wants to do away with freehold land.
He was responding to some comments made by the village chief, Kgosi Montle Kebualemang who requested that the land be changed to a freehold.
The minister explained that a freehold land limit the powers of the minister to make decisions hence the government want to do away with it.
Mababe is a settlement situated in a state land and the area also is a tourism destination.  Residents had long requested for formal allocation of plots so that they could be issued with land certificate but it was difficult as state land is only administered by department of lands under Ministry of Lands and Housing.
“We cannot give the option of changing state land to freehold, that one won't work because at the end of the day we want to stop freehold land,” he added.
Mr Maele further explained that three per cent of land country wide is freehold, 71 per cent is tribal while 21 is state land and the policy allows change of land without freehold.
He said tribal land could be changed to state land or state land could be changed to tribal land.
He also explained that Mababe is not in a position to be a recognised village.
Residents learnt that even if they opt for the land to be tribal or state, they would enjoy their benefits and that the land is hereditary.
Earlier on Kgosi Kebualemang suggested that since the minister mentioned three uses of land such as tribal, state and freehold, may be he could consider changing the land to freehold.
However, residents could not come up with a solid solution to the issue of land as they differed in views. Some wanted the land to remain as it while some wanted the land to be tribalised but the minister gave them time to finalise the issue.
The area MP, Mr Konstatinos Markus  expressed disappointment in the way residents handled the issue.
 He  said he had hoped that since the minister was present, the residents would make a final decision to close the issue for good. ENDS