08 Dec 2016

The exercise of removing illegal settlers in Maun, which commenced at Moeti/Sedie wards on December 6, led to demolition of about nine yards by December 7.

The ‘yellow monster’ was expected to demolish a total of 22 houses. Briefing the Maun leadership on December 5, Tawana Land Board chairman, Mr Kutjavetira Mauano,  said the exercise was in accordance of a court eviction order issued by the Land Tribunal in 2014.

Mr Mauano said a total of 52 illegal settlers appeared before the Land Tribunal and 40 of them were susceptible for eviction; however he said 22 were served with eviction orders while 18 were yet to be served.

He said the eviction letters were the Land Tribunal’s final decision following failure to comply by the affected illegal settlers.

He said both the Maun Sub-land Board and the Tawana Land Board were  engaged in dialogue with the squatters and  advised them to relocate themselves which was to no avail from from 2008 to 2014.

Mr Mauano said squatting was rife in Maun with a total of 891 illegal settlers distributed around the district, some in Sexaxa village, Sedie ward, Senonnori ward, Shashe ward, Polokabatho and some in the Okavango sub-district.

One of the affected people, Ms Keamogetse Motswakgosing of Sedie ward said she had nowhere to go with her five children.

The 32-year-old Ms Motswakgosing said she used to stay with her parents at Sexaxa, however she said she self-allocated herself the plot in Sedie to be near schools since her three older children attended Mathiba Primary School, Sedie JSS and Moremi Memorial School respectively.

She said her life depended on working under the Ipelegeng programme, selling tswii and some reed.

Although some in the Maun leadership pleaded with Land Board on December 5 to postpone the eviction to the near future, however the demolitions continued since the court eviction order could not be overruled.

Moeti councilor, Mr Tlotlo Baganaletso, who said he understood the seriousness of the court order and that it had to be followed had requested that the Land Board should consider the bad weather condition saying removing the people during that time was a double blow.

Councilor Baganaletso also said it should be considered that the illegal settlers had school going children who were going to be mainly affected since the parents had nowhere to go in Maun except cattle posts.

Maun Administration Authority (MAA) chairperson, Mr Gaokgakala Letswee, noted that the eviction court order could not be overlooked. However, he advised that the local authority stakeholders should combine efforts to address the next group of illegal settlers to avoid forceful eviction.

Mr Letswee noted that squatting was a worrisome trend in the region, but said consultation between Tawana Land Board and the political leadership was not enough, but they should change going forward.

He noted that the issue of land was at loggerheads in the Maun area since the land board was faced with delayed plot allocations while sale of plots was also rife by some people, the same who ended up squatting. Mr Letswee said there was need for cooperation among the district leadership.

Maun deputy commissioner Ms Angelinah Leano also stated that the eviction was at wrong timing due to the weather conditions and the fact that the festive season was a merry time therefore requested that it be delayed to a near future.

Ms Leano however said if carried out, the eviction would scare people about the consequences of self-allocations, adding that illegal settlers would be a thing of the past if leadership worked together. ENDS