03 Feb 2021

Parliament has been informed that the last review of compensation for demolition of houses for persons being relocated was done in 2011.

Answering a question in Parliament, Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services Minister, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila said the review of the compensation guidelines included the review of the rates for loss of rights to the land and the rates for the developments effected on the land.

He said the ministry had in 2020, conducted research on the current rates and its criteria against the current construction costs. “The research covered ploughing fields,” he said.

Mr Mzwinila denied the allegations that land boards were giving  mining rights to construction companies to excavate on people’s ploughing fields saying that would be  double allocation.

“My ministry does not issue mining rights, it only issues surface rights which are prerequisite for issuance with mining rights. Mining rights are issued by Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security,” he said.

Mr Mzwinila was answering a question from the Francistown West MP, Mr Ignatius Moswaane, who had asked the minister to state the last review of the compensation rate and criteria for demolition of house of persons being relocated.   

Mr Moswaane also wanted to know, when the ministry conducted research on the current compensation rates and its criteria against current construction costs and when the same was done for ploughing fields. Mr Moswaane also wanted to know why land boards’ country wide gave mining rights to construction companies to excavate on people’s ploughing fields.

He further asked why the mining rights were not given to the owners of the ploughing fields so that they could benefit by selling the excavated material to construction companies to generate income and  improve their livelihoods. ENDS