02 Oct 2022

 Member of Parliament for Maun West, Mr Dumelang Saleshando had to calm residents of Boro who lost their cool due to Maun Sub-land Board secretary, Mr Kabo Phirinyane’s response concerning pending plot allocation in their area.   

Mr Phirinyane had informed them that it was not the responsibility of the land board to gazette villages and that only people who had been allocated land legally would be issued with certificates as per the procedure.

The response almost derailed the Thursday kgotla meeting as the residents felt that their issue was not being given the urgency it deserved despite their numerous petitions for Maun Sub-land Board to allocate them certified residential plots. 

They also pointed out that they were shocked about 48 people who were allocated and issued with certificates, demanding to know the criteria used for those.

They said without allocation and certificates there was no way they could connect electricity and water in their homesteads.

They said some of the reasons advanced were that Boro was not recognized as a village and that it was part of the Maun Development Plan. 

They were once told that the area was earmarked for an ecotourism project, a statement that brought confusion among the residents.

The residents accused the land board for violating their rights to have access to land, noting that the law stated that every Motswana was entitled to apply for a plot and be allocated one.

 They said in 2019, land board officials assured them that they would be issued with certificates but now they were coming up with different stories.

Ms Kesentseng Jeremiah explained that historically, they were not squatters as Boro had been in existence even before Maun was recognised as a village. 

She urged land board officials to up their game, noting that the issue had been dragging for years.

Mr Gabofele Mokgwathi concurred that they originated from Boro, hence they should be allocated plots there. 

He said it seemed the government had a lot of appetite for their area as they were once told that the area was sensitive and that developments could contaminate the environment.

“To my surprise, the same government managed to construct a prison and Botswana Defence Force camp in Boro. 

In 2019, we were informed that our area was part of Maun Development Plan and now we are shocked to learn about ecotourism park initiative,” he added.

He termed that violation of rights and threatened that they would seek intervention if the issue was not addressed amicably.  

The area MP intervened and assured them that they would soon know their fate on whether they would be assisted or not.

Mr Saleshando promised them that he would engage all concerned parties to decide on a date to come and update them on the status of their village.

“I am going to engage Maun Sub-land Board chairperson, district commissioner and council secretary because this issue has been pending for so long. 

We need to close it because it is an eyesore in every kgotla meeting,” he added.

Through the meeting, Mr Saleshando expected relevant authorities to explain on the criteria used to allocate plots to some 48 residents in the village as well as when they would be allocated ploughing fields and how they reached the decision to earmark Boro for an ecotourism park.

Area councillor, Mr Kenson Kgaga explained that every time when he raised the issue at council sessions, he was informed that there was no how residents could be allocated plots as Boro was earmarked for an ecotourism project. 

He said the answer shocked him because residents rejected the project during consultation meetings.

Mr Phirinyane said the land board did not allocate land to the said 48 people, but some residents sold their ploughing fields to them.

With regard to land transfer, Mr Phirinyane admitted that they experienced delay because of backlog, but noted that there was progress since the new board took over in 2020, adding that to date, they had transferred over 1 300 plots since April to date.

However, he cautioned residents to refrain from squatting, but follow the right procedure to be allocate land. 

By doing so, he said they were hindering government efforts to implement developments and bring services closer to them.

Earlier, Mr Phirinyane noted that Boro had been incorporated under Maun Planning Area. 

“Prior to land allocation, the council has to conduct a survey, develop a layout and submit to us. 

That is when we can allocate you plots,” he added. ENDS