09 Mar 2020

Palapye Sub-land Board received 17 960 applications for residential and 278 for arable land from January 2006 to November 2018.

Responding to a question in Parliament the minister of Land Management,Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila said the sub-land board had 14 645 pending applications for residential and 278 for arable land.

He however stated that the sub land board mapped a total of 107 arable land and were expected to be allocated by April 2020.

Mr Mzwinila said, ‘the sub-land board does not keep a waiting list for common law. However, a total of 195 common law plots were advertised in December 2019 and expected to be allocated by April 2020’.

Out of the 195 common law plots, 138 are for industrial plots, 15 commercial plots, 9 civic and community, 12 mixed use plots, 20 multi-residential plots and one open space and they were all advertised.

Regarding dispute resolutions, the house heard that the board had 42 disputes and resolved 21 while 21 were still pending in the 2019/20 year. He also noted that the board’s target was to issue 2 900 customary grant certificates in 2019, but 1 248 were collected while 1 310 were awaiting collection

The minister said Palapye Sub-land Board had challenges of readily available land as it was surrounded by arable land and people were reluctant to release their property due to low compensation rate.

That notwithstanding, the process of availing land goes through intensive procedures of land acquisition, planning and servicing, he added.

This, he said, was a very expensive process and due to limited resources, government was not able to complete it in all villages because of other competing needs in the economy.

Member of Parliament for Palapye, Mr Onneetse Ramogapi, had asked for an update on the total number of land applications received in Palapye and pending applications after site visit.

Mr Ramogapi also wanted to know the targets reached against planned land allocation, dispute resolutions, issuing of leases and certificates and challenges of the Palapye Sub-land Board, if any. ENDS