17 Mar 2019

Several Members of Parliament who contributed to the debate on the budget proposals for the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services have complained about the long period of time that applicants had to endure before being allocated plots for various uses.

Debating the proposals on March 14, the MPs said the long waiting periods were detrimental as they slowed down the pace of developments and also contributed to the continued growth in poverty levels. MP for Ngami, Mr Thato Kwerepe noted that if not addressed, the problem could fuel squatting.

He said some people in his constituency had long waited to be allocated plots, but that their hopes were gradually dwindling as it seemed nothing would happen anytime soon.

Specially elected MP, Mr Mephato Reatile observed that government had promised residents of Sese that it would buy ploughing fields from some of them to provide for the growth of the village, but that years had passed with no action being taken.

Mr Reatile said the situation had worsened the poverty levels of the concerned residents as they had been ordered to cease using the ploughing fields.

Major General Pius Mokgware, the MP for Gabane/Mmankgodi similarly decried the long waiting lists for land boards across the country. He suggested that land boards should simply allocate people unserviced land and that constituencies would use the constituency funding to service the land instead of having to keep people waiting on the basis that they could not be allocated land which was not serviced.

On water, he said the ministry should consider pumping water from boreholes whenever the North -South Water Carrier was out of service for whatever reason.

MP Kgotla Autlwetse of Serowe North said poverty was becoming rife in his constituency as a result of the land board having halted allocating land for agricultural purposes.

He said the land board was also not re-allocating old residential plots (matlotla) which were no longer inhabited; it was instead allocating people plots in the outskirts of villages where the land was not serviced.

Chobe legislator, Mr Machana Shamukuni noted that the growth of some villages such as Kazungula and Lesoma in his constituency were constrained as they bordered forest reserves.

He appealed to the minister to engage with his counterpart from the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism to consider the possibility of moving the reserves back to allow for the growth of the villages.

On water bodies, he observed that about 80 per cent of the Lake Liambezi had been given to Namibia, whereas Chobe residents in villages such as Satau and Parakarungu affirmed that the lake belonged to Botswana. ENDS