07 Nov 2016

Molepolole Administrative Authority deputy district commissioner, Ms Boingotlo Ngaka, has warned against provision of service to unrecognised settlements.

Ms Ngaka was reacting to recent departmental reports to  Molepolole Administrative Authority (MAA) sub-district Development Committee meeting.

The Kweneng East District Health Management Team’s report, revealed provision of service to Gathoka area,  allegedly occupied by squatters in the outskirts of Molepolole.

She warned against such an arrangement saying it would be contravening government’s Settlement Policy arguing that providing services to people in farming areas or illegal occupants of certain areas would mean legitimising their stay.

“Let us avoid conflicting decisions as implementing department to avoid contravening government policies, advised Ms. Ngaka

She said it would be inappropriate to provide water and health services to such areas when the settlement policy clearly had guidance on numbers for an area to qualify for being a recognised settlement.

The deputy district commissioner however, stated that the decision should not in any way affect provision of special health service such as the recent immunisation exercise.

In an interview, Molepolole Sub-land Board secretary, Mr Nkwadisang Moipopi, bemoaned the increasing number of squatting in and around Molepolole.

He concurred with concerns raised on provision of services to unrecognised settlements.

He said they had since identified 34 individuals suspecting to have self-allocated plots at Gathoka area with 30 cases already been resolved and handed over to Kweneng Land Board for action.

He said they were overwhelmed by cases of squatting, the situation he said was not peculiar to Gathoka lands with 361 similar cases registered and recommendations already passed to the main land board to finalise the matter before eviction orders could be secured.

The affected areas according to Mr Moipopi included among others; Suping, Matsuke, Mosinki, Mmakanke, Mantsho, Magokotswane, Maanege, Mmaothate and Gathoka.

Ms Kooagile Kebinamore, one of the affected individuals expressed fear over eviction threats, despite the fact that he occupied the plot nine years ago.

Ms Kebinamore said although they had been summoned to the land board regarding the matter, she was grateful of the fact that they were continuing to get services such as water supply through bowsing from WUC and under-fives monthly health service from DHMT.

Mr Mothowe Charlie a man allegedly responsible for allocating lands to suspected squatters indicated that only three people benefited while a good number of people found in the area legitimately occupied the area through inheritance from their parents. ENDS