07 Aug 2013

It has come to the attention of government that local authorities in the Ghanzi District had this past month drafted a ‘Ranyane Relocation Phase II Work Plan’ which included proposals that could be reasonably interpreted as being coercive and otherwise intended to force residents at Ranyane to relocate.

A statement from the Office of the President says such proposals are at sharp variance with both policy and commitments made by government as a whole and are thus unapproved by government. It has been and remains the unequivocal position of government that while the local authorities in the Ghanzi District may facilitate the voluntary relocation of any Ranyane residents who freely wish to remove elsewhere, under no circumstances should they or anyone else engage in any acts that may be reasonably regarded as an attempt to forcibly relocate those residents who wish to remain behind. 

It says this position applies to all Ranyane residents and not just those covered under the June 18, 2013 Consent Court Order, which Government is a party to.

“The above message of non-interference and respect for those Ranyane residents who wish to remain where they are, has been conveyed to both the local authorities in Ghanzi and the Ranyane residents on two recent occasions by the Assistant Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Olebile Gaborone,” it states.

To reiterate, government wishes to completely disassociate itself from the referred to draft ‘Ranyane Relocation Phase II Work Plan’ and further reassure the residents of Ranyane and the public at large that its proposed timeline of actions has not, and shall not, be implemented, it further states. ENDS