14 Jan 2020

Residents of Matshelagabedi in the Tati East constituency have requested government to buy a farm east of the village to address the problem of land shortage.

Speaking during a kgotla meeting addressed by Area MP, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe Monday, residents said their village was faced with an acute shortage of land for residential allocation and agricultural purposes.

First to make the request was Kgosi Oganne Polson, who said there was a farm in the eastern part of the village belonging to a certain Ben Huns who is deceased which government could negotiate to buy and give the land to the people of Matshelagabedi for residential allocation and agriculture.

He said Matshelagabedi was encycled by the farm in the east, the City of Francistown in west whilst the other sides were the mines, hence there was serious shortage of tribal, grazing and agricultural land.

Kgosi Polson said his people had been much cooperative when their ploughing fields were taken by government for residential plot allocation, but government should also do something to assist them to get land for various purposes.

On other issues, Kgosi Polson complained about shortage of police officers in the village at the time when crime had drastically increased due to the village’s proximity to the city of Francistown which in inundated with criminal activities.

To drive his point home, he compared Matshelagabedi to Mogoditshane, which is known of its criminal activities.

He said the village used to have eight police officers, but all of them were transferred and no replacement was made adding that the village was now headed by a police officer of the rank of a constable.

He explained that it was until recently that a police officer of the rank of a sergeant was loaned from Matsiloje Police Station to come and assist.

He cited a person was murdered in the village during the just-ended festive season whilst another incident involved a mob justice in which a person was also killed.

However, Kgosi Polson condemned mob justice, saying people should not take the law into their own hands, adding that it was high time that the police, members of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and members of the Special Support Group (SSG) patrol the village day and night.

In his address, Dr Letsholathebe, who is also the Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, said he was aware that there was serious shortage of plots for both residential and agricultural purposes in the village.

He encouraged residents to be optimistic, adding that government would continue to negotiate for land with farm owners to alleviate the problem.

Dr Letsholathebe said government could not turn a blind eye on land, which was a critical component in the development of villages, hence the need to continue negotiations with farm owners to acquire more land.

Minister Letsholathebe however, lamented that some farm owners made it difficult for government to acquire land from them by hiking prices.

He however, explained that land allocation involved various stakeholders that included the Department of Environmental Affairs, the council and the land boards adding that the whole process also required a lot of money to implement.

The minister also warned residents of electing Village Development Committee members on party lines, saying that delayd development in the village.

The other concern the minister raised was that of residents of Matshelagabedi, who had not renounced their Zimbabwean citizenship.

Minister Letsholathebe said there were many residents in the village who did not have identity cards, meaning that they did not vote in the last general election.

He said such residents were involved in the development of the village, but were unable to enjoy social amenities like other residents.

Minister Letsholathebe promised the affected residents that the Department of Civil and National Registration and the immigration office from Francistown would in the near future visit the village to correct the anomaly.

He advised residents to compliment when public officers were doing their best in assisting them.

Minister Letsholathebe also informed the residents that his ministry was tasked with the responsibility of transforming the country from a resource based economy to a knowledge based one and promised the residents that government was always ready to assist them when funds permitted.

Meanwhile, the acting station commander of Matsiloje Police Station, Assistant Superintendent James Moikothai told the meeting that the intention was to replace all the police officers who were transferred to increase visibility.

Assistant Superintendent Moikothai said they were expecting a transfer-in of a senior police officer during the course of last week, but to no avail.

He agreed with kgosi that the police must have a combined patrol with members of the BDF and SSG as crime had increased in the village in recent past.

He appealed to residents to provide police officers who would be transferred to their village with accommodation, adding that the police organisation would cater for their accommodation payments. Ends