30 Oct 2022

Plans are at an advanced stage to allocate 256 residential plots in Moshana before end of December.

Kanye Sub-land  Board member, Mr Disang Seumakwane, said this during a kgotla meeting addressed by Kanye North MP, Mr Thapelo Letsholo on Thursday.

“All the processes have been done and we are waiting for the physical planning committee to convene next month, after which the plots will be allocated. We are hoping that allocation will take place before Christmas this year,” Mr Seumakwane said.

He explained that some commercial plot applications were rejected for various reasons including the new procedure, which stipulates that such plots had to be advertised.

“Commercial plots have to be advertised, so some of the applications were rejected because they did not go through that process,” he noted.

He was responding to concerns raised by residents, including Ms Ivy Setlhabi, who had indicated that the land board took long to allocate plots in their village.

“It takes a very long time for the land board to allocate plots in Moshana, especially commercial plots. They recently told us commercial plots were no longer available,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ms Setlhabi also appealed to the MP to advocate for the reversal of having stock theft cases heard at magistrate courts.  “We appeal to you to request that dikgosi should be given the power to preside over stock theft cases just like it was before,” she said.

Another resident, Ms Mosetsanagape Modise, said stocktheft cases had to be within the jurisdiction of the tribal leaders not magistrate courts to ensure justice and fairness.

“There is need to take these cases back to our customary courts because most of the time the farmers are disadvantaged by the legal costs.  Most cattle owners do not have the resources to engage lawyers and this is how the perpetrators win the cases,” she noted.

For his part, Kgosi Seate Marumo decried water shortage in the village, saying a single tank was not adequate for the whole village. “The tank that we have been using initially for the two wards is no longer enough because we have an additional ward which is growing tremendously. We need more tanks as our village and population are growing,” he noted.

He also said they shared the little water with Kanye residents who were experiencing acute shortage of water.

The MP said in an effort to alleviate water shortage in the southern parts of the country, government had commissioned projects such as the North South Carrier and Masama.

“Government is committed to providing water to all, hence these two projects are ongoing. We are optimistic that they will address the water challenges in our villages,” Mr Letsholo said. ENDs