23 Feb 2017

Ngwato land board members have received a pat on the back for working tirelessly to ensure service delivery despite challenges.

Speaking during a meeting to review achievements and challenges before appointing a new board, Ngwato Land board chairperson Mr David Modisagape said his team managed to deliver on the greater part of their mandate.

With their term that spanned three years coming to an end next month, Mr Modisagape believed that theirs ‘wasn’t a smooth ride’ even with their successes.

Prevalent issues such as complaints over land have been greatly reduced according to Mr Modisagape.

The board chairperson enumerated some of the challenges they faced during their tenure in office which were but not limited to shortage of manpower and the number of cases they attended at the Land Tribunal, most of which they won.

He found that though winning cases was not their mandate, it was a clear indication of excellence and objectivity in discharging their duties.

Mr Modisagape attributed stakeholder engagement to some of their successes noting that Central District Council, Local Enterprise Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security were among those they engaged.

He urged the incoming board to do their job to the best of their ability

On other issues, board secretary Ms Neo Mothobi expressed concern with regard to squatting explain that about 300 people were squatting in communal grazing areas.

Ms Mothobi said those were in conflict with the prevailing land use, therefore could not be recommended for amnesty as that would be setting a bad precedence and might result in litigation by duly allocated livestock water point owners.

“It will also jeopardise the viability of the sector in the affected areas,” she said. BOPA