21 Nov 2019

Tonota Member of Parliament, Mr Pono Moatlhodi, has pleaded with the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services to find ways of speeding up land allocation in the Tonota constituency.

In his contribution to the State-of-the-Nation Address debate in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Moatlhodi said President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi highlighted government’s recognition of land use as a critical factor in development of the economy.

“It is disappointing that the waiting list for plot allocation in Tonota constituency currently stands at 106 000 and the last plot allocation was in 2014,” he said.

To this end, he said land was the most basic of all economic resources since it was fundamental to economic development.

He said land use for agricultural purposes, was integral to production means of the country’s subsistence while its use in an urban context was crucial in shaping how effectively cities functioned as well as who could get the principal benefits from urban economic growth.

Thus, he said government commitment towards economic growth would be a wild-goose-chase if more funds and efforts were not channelled towards improving land allocation across the country. 

He said the delay in land allocation might lead to squatters mushrooming, a problem which might lead to socio-economic problems such as high crime rates and environmental crisis due to poor sanitation services.

Mr Moatlhodi stated that land was in abundance in his constituency in the form of unutilised ploughing fields thereby pleading with the land board to lawfully repose any piece of land lying idle.

The Tonota legislature also urged government to improve its relationship with public service trade unions. 

Mr Moatlhodi highlighted that government should be cognizant of the fact that public service trade unionism was part and parcel of workmanship. 

He said it was essential for government to accept the existence of trade unions and work on how best to improve the relationship between the two parties in an effort to improve service delivery.

He emphasised that government needed to clearly understand the role and purpose of trade unions in a democratic setup.  

He said having a common understanding of the purpose and role of public service trade unions would help reduce the tension between government officials and union and lead to improved service delivery and productivity in the public service.

 This, he said, would also contribute positively towards development and growth of democracy as a nation.  

He said trade unions should be regarded as major stakeholders and partners in development. 

He illustrated that, in a democratic setting, citizens and institutions ought to freely articulate their interests, exercise their rights, and mediate their interests in pursuit of their collective good. Ends