24 Oct 2017

Member of Parliament for Takatokwane constituency, Mr Ngaka Ngaka has applauded residents of Kgare, an unrecognised settlement in the outskirts of Ditshegwane near Letlhakeng, for their patience while the issue of recognition of their settlement is being addressed.

Speaking in a kgotla meeting at the settlement on October 20, Mr Ngaka said although the issue had taken many years to resolve, government was aware of it, and that there were many such settlements across the country also fighting for recognition.

He said recently government appointed a task force to go around the country and consult at unrecognised settlements such as Kgare so that government could be informed on how to assist them.

Mr Ngaka said their hope as the leadership of the area was that Kgare should either be recognised as an independent village or incorporated into the nearby village of Ditshegwane as a ward.

Mr Ngaka said residents of Kgare were currently disadvantaged because they could not talk about any development issues such as schools owing to the status of the area.

He added that it disadvantaged students from the area as most attended school at Ditshegwane where they did not have proper accommodation, leading to poor academic performance.

Mr Ngaka said while the issue was still before the relevant authorities, residents should be hopeful.

He urged land overseers to avoid allocating ploughing fields nearby incase their plea was successful.

Mr Ngaka also said he was aware that there were people who had been allocated residential plots in the area in the 1990s, and noted that since the land board policies were changed, no further allocations were done.

Kgare settlement has been in existence since pre-independence and residents have been fighting tooth and nail to have it recognised.

The area councillor, Mr Tshabahule Kgotlhang informed residents that the Kweneng District Council had reached a consensus to have Kgare declared a legal settlement, and that the issue had been handed over to the ministry for final decision.

He said he was hopeful that the area MP would advocate for the issue with the relevant minister.

He said if the ministry could accede to their wish to have Kgare incorporated into Ditshegwane as a ward, the issue could be resolved quicker as incorporation did not have any population cap.

Mr Kgotlhang also pleaded with residents to inform their leaders whenever they had challenges such as water shortage so that they could assist them.

He informed them that the Letlhakeng Sub-council had agreed to re-gravel the troublesome sandy spot between them and Sebotswane. ENDS