23 Aug 2016

Palapye Sub council aims to allocate 1 690 plots for various uses this financial year.

Officially opening the ongoing Palapye Sub-council meeting on August 22, Palapye Administration Authority chairperson Mr Lesedi Phuthego said the land board has so far allocated a total of 166 plots of residential and ploughing fields only.

He said the majority of residential plots were allocated in Lerala because of the approved layout and compensation of farmers whose fields were affected.

He said the land board was yet to survey villages whose layouts have been approved citing Ratholo, Majwaneng and Mokungwane, where 651, 552 and 137 plots for various uses will be allocated respectively.

Matlhakola and Gootau layouts are at a design stage.

Furthermore he said the re-design of plots at BIUST entrance within Khurumela residential layout have been approved by the District Physical Planning Committee in May and will be approved by the sub-landboard during this financial year.

The re-design, he said has made a provision of 36 plots of various uses, adding that plot allocation waiting list within Palapye sub land board jurisdiction stands at 57 094 with Palapye and Topisi recording the highest numbers at 16 168 and 19 049 respectively.

Regarding plot transfers, Mr Phuthego who is also councillor for Mogome/Mokgware said a total of 232 plots of various uses have been transferred as from April to date within Palapye.

He said it is upon councillors to sensitise their respective communities on the importance of land they are holding, adding that this trend of transferring plots is against the government’s efforts of providing Batswana with land to have shelter.

He also implored councillors to warn their respective communities of fraudsters in land dealings within Palapye sub land board.

He said these unscrupulous people call members of the public with the intention to cheat them.

Mr Phuthego said fraudsters claim to be officials of the land board who are willing to assist the clients in speeding up land allocations, beacon-relocation, extension period for development agreement and purchasing of repossessed plots.

He said the fraudsters usually demand certain fees to be deposited into their accounts so that the client can be assisted adding that 30 cases have been reported.

He urged councillors to inform their communities that any monetary transactions regarding government assistance should be deposited at the relevant offices and should be accompanied by evidence in the form of receipts.

He also noted that the land board was still faced with the challenge of undeveloped plots thus the land board was in the process of repossessing undeveloped plots for re-distribution to those who were willing and able to develop.

Regarding the systematic land registration dubbed LAPCAS, he said the project started in Palapye in 2013 with a total of 22 894 plots being surveyed to date in Palapye sub-land board jurisdiction.

He said however of these plots only 12 496 have been claimed so far. Ends