05 Sep 2019

People of Nxamasere and Kajaja villages in Okavango have been urged to desist from selling prime land.

Addressing Kgotla meetings in the villages on Tuesday, Minister of Basic Education, Mr Bagalatia Arone advised people to lease instead of selling plots located in the Okavango Delta area.

Mr Arone said government planned to  use part of the Okavango Delta land as a wildlife park. “This would mean employment creation for some of our people in Okavango. 

The park would also be a tourism destination for both locals and foreigners,” he said.

Mr Arone informed residents that some Land Policy regulations had been amended in the interests of Batswana.

He noted that people were now allowed to use a portion of their land for a different purpose. 

The policy was initially viewed as discriminatory to married couples as they were only entitled to one plot but now they could each have their own plot, he said.

On a different matter, Mr Arone said Ngamiland was Foot and Mouth Disease prone which disadvantaged communities as  they could only sell their cattle to butcheries. 

He therefore said farmers in the red zone should be allowed to sell their cattle even if they did not have ear tags as long as there was valid proof of ownership.

Mr Arone however said people should follow the right procedure and register their beasts with the police and at the Kgotla to verify ownership before selling.

Furthermore, the minister said there was need to review some regulations because it was unfair to administer green zone regulations in a red zone.

Meanwhile, a Nxamasere resident, Mr Mokgabo Lesiamang said government should come up with means of protecting field crops from elephant damage as many people in the area relied on farming.

He decried the long delays at the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in facilitating compensation for elephant damage to crops noting that some cases dated back to 2016. 

Responding, Gumare wildlife officer in charge, Mr Rabogwe Rampete said shortage of staff and transport at the department remained a challenge negatively affecting service delivery.

On issues of water shortage, a Shakawe-based Water Utilities Corporation Mr Omogae Mpho assured residents that a water treatment plant currently under construction would be completed next February.

The plant would improve water supply in villages such Nxamasere, he said. 

ends