11 Feb 2019

Kweneng District councillors recently advised Kweneng Land Board (KLB) to consider wider access to proposed ranches in Kweneng to ordinary Batswana.

The planned arable, livestock and game ranches zoned for commercial farming in the area located between Kweneng and Boatlaname as well as the villages of Tshwaane and Khekhenye in Kweneng West are intended for the country to achieve food security.

However, when KLB presented an update on the feasibility study already conducted on the ranches, councillors advocated for inclusion of ordinary citizens to own commercial farms.  

Councillors also demanded equal ranch sizes of 100 hectares each so that a significant number of ordinary Batswana could partake on the developments.

For his part, Thamaga North councillor, Mr Palelo Motaosane asked KLB why the ranches could not be demarcated equally for the benefit of Batswana.

“Let us not be seen as selling land because land issues are sensitive by nature,” he said, emphasising that developments of that nature benefited the privileged few at the expense of the ordinary citizenry.

Mr Motaosane further wanted to know what would happen to communal farmers in those areas, saying the developments would  affect small communal farmers. 

Mankgwenyane’s councillor, Mr Molemisi Motsewabathata concurred with Mr Motaosane advocating for Bakwena to be given preference in the allocation of the ranches.

Gabane North West councillor, Mr Mokgotla Pule said the land issue in Kweneng was already a headache.  

He said the land board in Mogoditshane had taken ploughing fields and grazing land meant for people in those areas, but that they have never been compensated with ploughing fields or communal grazing land.  

“Now that there is a chunk of land for livestock rearing and arable farming as identified and presented by KLB, why can’t affected people be considered to own land,” he asked, arguing that residents of Mogoditshane and others in the periphery around Gaborone have turned into destitutes.

Responding to councillors comments, the chairperson of Kweneng Land Board, Mr Moemedi Babitseng said the presentations were meant to consult councillors, assuring them that their recommendations would be considered. 

He said during the initial consultations with councillors, they had insisted that the ranches must benefit a large number of people, and that the land board had acceded to their request to increase the number of ranches from the initial 22 to 28.

He said another new development was that during the initial consultations, councillors had wanted communities of the affected areas to benefit. 

The land board has since increased the number of community ranches from two to four.

Mr Babitseng further said communal farmers in affected areas were encouraged to group themselves so that they could be considered. 

He also stressed that groups were given preference over individuals.

The feasibility study report details that the arable fields are to be established under the auspices of the National Master Plan for Arable Agriculture and Dairy Development (NAMPAAD). 

The commercial arable ranches are zoned in an area measuring approximately 9 000 hectares.

Meanwhile, KW6, a former wildlife management area located between Tshwaane and Khekhenye, was formed as a result of a Presidential Directive of 2012 directing that KW6 be converted to livestock ranches and game ranches.

KW6 layout comprises a total of 20 ranches of sizes ranging from 3 308 to 4 031 hectares. 

The area provides for one game ranch, four small stock farms of 1 826 hectares to 2 803 hectares and 15 cattle ranches of which four are reserved for communities while five are already occupied and six vacant. 

Consultations with communities are ongoing. ENDS