24 Feb 2022

Government has an obligation to ensure that communities surrounded by farms have access to land for different uses, either as individuals or as community trusts.
Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Mabuse Pule said in response to a question from Jwaneng/Mabutsane legislator, Mr Mephato Reatile in Parliament on Wednesday.
Mr Pule said Kanaku community had been allocated a ranch measuring 2 476.5 hectares, which the Southern District Council had already developed by erecting a perimeter fence.
He said council was also working on a feasibility study to explore the possibility of allocating Mahotshwane community a farm after the formation of a trust.
Currently, Mr Pule said there were no available tribal commercial ranches in the area for allocation as the existing ranches were allocated in the late 70s to the mid-80s.
However, Mr Pule said in an effort to provide commercial ranches in the area, a former wildlife area being SO2 was zoned to commercial farms in 2012, adding that 10 farms were identified to be allocated to community trusts in the area.Following the demarcation of the farms, Mr Pule explained that the communities raised an objection to the provision of farms and preferred communal grazing area. As a result, he said the exercise of disposing the farms was halted with a view to revisit the issue after incorporating the concerns of the communities.
He said the consultations with the community were done in January 2021 and currently awaiting re-surveying of the area.
Furthermore, Mr Pule indicated that the total number of tribal leased farms in the area was 55.
He said the farms in the Thankane and Mahotshwane areas were denoted by the code KN and their sizes ranged from 1 930 hectares to 8 987 hectares, while the Sekoma ranches were denoted by the code KM and their sizes ranged from 6 371 hectares to 7 816 hectares.In addition, the assistant minister said the distance between Mahotshwane and the nearest farm, being KN83 was 347 meters, while the distance from Thankane and the nearest farm, being KN11 was 533 meters.
“The distance between Kanaku and the nearest farm is 4.3 km and the distance between Sekoma and the nearest farm is 3.81km, being farm KN36 to the north while farm KM43 is 10 km south of the village,” he said.
In relation to the establishment of the villages and the farms allocations, Mr Pule said the available information indicated that Thankane came into existence in 1988, and the first farms in its periphery were allocated in 1979.
He further said Mahotshwane was established in 1970 and the Mahotshwane farms were allocated in 1986 and 1987 respectively.
As for Sekoma, Mr Pule said the village was established around 1937 and Sekoma farms were allocated in 1986 and 1987 respectively. Mr Pule said Khonkhwa and Samane village were established in 1960 and 1978 respectively and there were no farms in the proximity of the respective villages.
MP Reatile had asked the Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services to state the obligation of government to communities surrounded by private farms like communities of Thankane, Mahotshwane and Kanaku.
He also asked on the total number of private farms in the periphery of the villages, their identity, size and the distance between villages and the first farm. ENDS