10 Jan 2022

The Bobonong Sub-land Board is in the process of instituting several measures to address nagging customer complaints, chairperson Mr Negroes Kgosietsile has revealed.

Speaking during a kgotla meeting addressed by Bobonong MP Taolo Lucas yesterday,  Mr Kgosietsile said special board sessions were planned to address backlogs which led to increasing customer complaints.

He said from January 20, the board would sit to deal specifically with plot transfers dating back to 2012.

Mr Kgosietsile informed the meeting that securing land for residential plots dictated that the board repossess some ploughing fields in the vicinity of Bobonong.

“The land board will also have to access the communal grazing land to secure land for residential plots allocation,” he said.

In preparation for the mentioned processes, he explained that the board would engage with land owners and other affected stakeholders.

“We will traverse the whole area between now and March to discuss these issues in detail,” Mr Kgosietsile said.

He blamed understaffing and being under-resourced for the board’s woes.

Board secretary Ms Gabankgatlhe Mokete revealed that the land board was in negotiations with some residents owning ploughing fields west of Bobonong with a view to repossess their land.

“While some land owners refused to let go of their fields citing paltry compensation others could not be traced for engagements,” Ms Mokete said.

With all earmarked fields availed, the area is expected to yield about 2 000 residential plots.

Ms Mokete revealed that Bobonong’s land allocation  waiting list stood at 10 900 with applicants from 2005 being assisted.

Recently, she said, Bobonong had 200 plots available for allocation but the process was slowed down by vetting which saw over 1 000 applicants interviewed.

“Many of these applicants have been allocated plots elsewhere by various land boards across the country hence being turned down,” Ms Mokete explained.

On other issues, Ms Mokete clarified that the land board was addressing plot transfers dating back to 2012.

“We are attending to all these issues simultaneously despite being under-resourced and understaffed. We hope that in spite of being overwhelmed we will pull through very soon,” she said.

Mr Lucas had earlier informed the officials that his office was inundated with complaints regarding service delivery at the sub land board.

He expressed concern that a good number of complaints were about lost applications in the hands of land board officials as well as poor reception at the organisation’s  offices.

“Customers should feel welcome at the offices and it is not up to the officers to dictate how or what makes customers welcome at the offices,” said MP Lucas who added that the voice of customers should be given utmost attention. Ends