05 Dec 2021

Maun residents have been implored to cooperate with the land board in order to speed up residential land allocation.

Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Minister, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila made the plea during a kgotla meeting addressed by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi in Maun on Friday where Umbrella Village Development Committee chairperson, Mr Jowitt Molapisi expressed a concern regarding delays in land allocation by Tawana Land board.

Some applicants, he said had been on the waiting list since 1991 and urged  land board to work hard and reduce the backlog.

Mr Mzwinila explained that lack of cooperation particularly from field owners hindered efforts to allocate land effectively. due to disagreements regarding compensation.

He said that the situation was worsened by the fact that government should first identify land to be used for residential plots then prepare detailed layout plans which took long because it involved other stakeholders.

Mr Mzwinila said Tawana Land board had demarcated 5 685 plots of which 2 746 were residential and would be allocated during the 2021/22 financial year.
Concerning water supply,  Minister Mzwinila  said that  the ongoing Maun water supply phase two aimed at providing  essential services of water and waste water to residents of Maun.

Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy, Mr Lefoko Moagi advised Ngamiland community to take advantage of the booming developments in their district to improve their lives.

He said with the opening of mines as Khoemacau Copper mine, Motheo mine in Ghanzi and the village electrification project, residents could venture into projects to earn a living.

He said efforts were underway to establish a training centre in Maun that would drill locals on mining related courses.

Mr Moagi also encouraged them to take advantage of the newly constructed North West Transmission Grid Connection (NWTGC) project at Mawana village and enjoy the benefits it brought.

He highlighted that the electricity grid connection would bring with it economic opportunities to the Ngamiland region and that the project was in line with government’s mandate to bring services closer to the people.

The backbone of the infrastructure he said was to deliver quality and reliable electricity supply to businesses and households in the Ngamiland region as well as the tourism sector.

The minister of Environment, Natural Resource, Conservation and Tourism, Ms Philda Kereng pointed out that to stimulate the tourism sector, services such as water and electricity were paramount. She appreciated that the industry was gradually recovering from the effect of COVID 19 as some camps saw an increase in bookings before the new variant outbreak which led to the country being red listed.

In addition, she said they were proud to have not registered any positive case in the Okavango Delta and also mentioned that 80 per cent of workers in the tourism and mines had taken their full vaccination. ENDS