21 Sep 2020

Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation will engage residents of Mababe in October to address a thorny land issue.

Councillors received this response during an a full council meeting in Maun recently. 

The communication from the ministry stated that plans to address residents during the first quarter of this financial year were disrupted by the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

It also stated that the ministry met representatives of Mababe in March this year together with the two legislators for Maun constituencies.

The response followed a motion by Khwai/Mababe councillor, also chairperson of North West District Council, Mr Kebareditse Ntsogotlho who requested the ministry to address residents about the village being in state land.

Residents had long called for recognition of the village so that they could be allocated plots and issued with certificates and the ministry was handicapped since the area was a state land. 

Mababe is situated in a concession area NG 41  classified as a state land and administrated by department of lands only. 

The issue dated back to 2016 in which the ministry gave them options to acquire plots under state land, tribal land or being relocated.

The residents were given time to look into the matter and they resolved to be allocated plots on state land after considering all the advantages and disadvantages of the options.

They submitted their resolution for consideration to the ministry since September 2016 and to date nothing happened.

Another motion requested the ministry to consider returning water supply services, which were initially under local authorities back to the local authorities.

In response, the ministry stated that decentralisation of rural water supply from the rest of the major villages, town and cities for ease of operation and maintenance services under Water Utilities Corporation to the district councils awaits the finalization of the National Decentralization Policy by the ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

The response further indicated that the finalization exercise was expected to be completed during the current financial year. 

The policy would provide guidance on overall service delivery including coordination and alignment of decision making. Ends