18 Dec 2017

Kgosi Mosadi of Balete has vowed that the tribe will oppose any bid to get Forest Hill Farm from them without due consultations.

Kgosi Mosadi said this when addressing members of the media at Ramotswa Kgotla on Wednesday on issues surrounding the farm.

She said Malete Landboard had relayed its intention to had Forest Hill Farm deeds of transfer held by kgosi on behalf of the tribe cancelled. Balete, she said bought the land in 1925 through community members’ contribution.

“We hold the legal ownership of the property,” adding the land board had always known that the land belonged to the tribe until a Court of Appeal Judgment in 2011. The court ruled that the land forms part of the Bamalete Tribal Territory and should be administered by the landboard, a decision which reversed the decision of the lower, which has ruled in favour of Balete in a case against Botswana Quarries.

She stated that the tribe believed that the Court of Appeal judgment was not right, adding that had it not been the judgment, government was willing to follow all processes to acquire the land.

“Ba Ga Malete do not accept being deprived of that significant asset of their forefathers,” added Kgosi Mosadi. However, she stressed that the tribe was not against developments in the land nor any commercial activities or selling to government, but such should be done through consultation.

Kgosi Mosadi stated that the property was a huge investment, which could be used for accommodation, agriculture and other activities. However, she cautioned that Batswana should not be carried away by lucrative business adventures to give all the agricultural land to other developments as that could compromise the country’s food security. Deputy chief, Kgosi Tsimane Mokgosi stated that government engaged the tribal leadership over the issue in the past. However, he said much progress was not done until the Court of Appeal Judgment in 2011, which stalled everything.

He said they had also engaged President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama on the matter, but could not overturn court’s decision. Gamalete Development Trust legal advisor, Mr Thebe Ramokhua said their believe was that the Tribal Territories Act review of 1973 was intended to identify the Balete Territory, but not to take away Forest Hill Farm.

Therefore, he stated that the believe that the area was included under the tribal land and should be part of land administered by the landboard was an error depriving the tribe its property. BOPA