04 Sep 2019

 The Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila says government is aware that there is shortage of land for residential allocation in Letlhakane. 

Mr Mzwinila said the waiting list for residential land applications was reported to be more than 23 000. 

He made the remarks at a kgotla meeting addressed by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi in Letlhakane on September 3 when responding to comments made by VDC chairperson, Mr Shadrack Teseletso, who was concerned by delay in allocation of land for residences. 

He said the situation was worsened by the fact that a company that was allocated a tender to service land earmarked for residential purposes in the financial year 2017/18 failed and therefore its contract waswere terminated. Mr Mzwinila said his ministry was in the process of engaging another company and was expected to commence work next month. The contractor is expected to service 549 plots at Letsibogo ward, said Mr Mzwinila. 

Mr Mzwinila also stated that his ministry was in the process of upgrading water network in the village, saying shortage of water was one of the challenges delaying land allocation. 

He further acknowledged that the identified water sources were not producing enough yields to sustain the village. 

Mr Mzwinila has appealed to farmers with ploughing fields at portions of land earmarked for residential allocations to cooperate with the land boards and pave way for the proposed development. 

Mr Mzwinila has also added that shortage of funds to service land was also a stumbling block.  A single residential plot will require P125 000 to be serviced, he said.

Due to the anticipated expansion of the Orapa mine, Mr Mzwinila said the project was expected to increase the village population and the current waiting list, adding that additional 6 000 inhabitants were projected to add to the number of those in need of land for residential use.

Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso said Makgaba was recognised as a settlement in 2017, at a time when the development plans were ongoing. 

As a recognised settlement, Ms Tshireletso said Makgaba must be provided with social amenities such as water, education and health services. 

“We are working on logistics on how to service the village,” said Ms Tshireletso.  

Meanwhile, Mr Mzwinila said water reticulation would be improved at Makgaba by connecting three public stand pipes.

One of the residents of Letlhakane, Mr Baikgasi Mpala expressed a concerned about failure by some companies who were engaged in road to rehabilitate burrow pits. 

Responding to the concern, Minister  of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Mr Kitso Mokaila  noted that it was a must for companies to rehabilitate land after completion of projects. 

Mr Mokaila said at the completion of the project, the contractor was not paid in full as a certain percentage was retained only to be released after land rehabilitation. 

Where a company failed to do so, the retention funds are used to rehabilitate the land, said Mr Mokaila. 

Health and wellness minister, Dr Alfred Madigele said the village was experiencing an increase in population due to an influx of people searching for employment opportunities at the mines in the village periphery. 

Therefore, Dr Madigele said the available health facilities were not coping. 

Dr Madigele said the  primary hospital in the village would be renovated. 

“We are improving water distribution at the facility, and  the proposed development will also include softening the water,” he said. 

Dr Madigele said the hospital has six doctors instead of the  nine. “Currently, three doctors are on long term study leave and we are on the process of replacing them,” said Dr Madigele. ends