26 Feb 2018

Boteti Sub-Council chairperson Mr Molemi Galeragwe has implored councillors to sensitise the community on illegal occupation of land.

Mr Galeragwe said this during the sub-council session held in Letlhakane on Febryary 22, stating that the issue had put unnecessary pressure on the landboard to relocate or allocate land to squatters.

He said the issue could not be ignored, saying it was particularly rampant in Letlhakane.

Currently Letlhakane sub-land board he said has profiled squatters in Makolwane, Metsiaela and Buhee ward, and 41 out 46 applicants were allocated residential plots at Buhee ward under affirmative action with 32 squatters from Makolwane, seven from Metsiaela and two needy applicants.

Mr Galeragwe stated that consultations on 269 squatters at Phase one, Tawana, Letsibogo and Metsiaela were ongoing and would be followed by due process if necessary.

He statedthat the national land registration exercise was still ongoing and landboard had surveyed 17 187 plots and inspected 15 962 plots.

The chairperson indicated that 64 per cent of surveyed plots have been adjudicated and the office had embarked on the second lap of the exercise which displayed plot numbers in villages.
Plot numbers he said would be displayed where they could be visible indicating that where the plot would be undeveloped the public would be advised to collect the number from the office.

Mr Galeragwe stated that leadership consultation regarding the exercise started on January 15 and would be expected to be completed on February 23.

He noted that house display of the plot numbers would commence in March 2018.

Furthermore he stated that integrated land use plan for Mmatshumo, Mosu, Mokubilo, Mmea and Makgaba villages had finally been approved on condition by physical planning committee and full council at its sitting of December 2017.

The main condition attached to the approval he said was for Strategic Environmental Assessment Act of 2011 that all developments and plans should adhere to environmental considerations within which they could be implemented.

The plan he said had already been submitted to the Department of Environmental Affairs and await feedback from the department, citing that after that detailed layout plans would be made to allow allocation by land board to resume.

In addition the council he said had prepared layouts for Xhumo, Xere, Moremaoto and Rakops villages which had been conditionally approved by physical planning committee at its sitting of November 21, 2017 pending environmental impact assessment preparation.

That he said was critical so as to avoid allocating plots on unsuitable and or flood prone areas as it had happened elsewhere in the country. Ends