25 Jul 2024

Botswana government administered by both the department of lands and Ngwaketse Land Board on behalf of government, Minister of Agriculture, Mr Fidelis Molao has said.

He told Parliament on Wednesday that government acquired Farm Molopo Ranch 1-JN (122 000.00 ha), Farm 17-JN (14 378.9889 ha) and Farm 18-JN from the Commonwealth Development Corporation in 1998. Following the acquisition, Mr Molao said, a company called Banyana (Pty)

Limited was established under the Companies Act to be the custodian of all movable and immovable assets in the farms, herein after referred to as Banyana Farms.

He said the company was 100 per cent owned by government of Botswana represented by the ministries of agriculture and finance.

“Farm Molopo Ranch 1-JN is situated on state land in Kgalagadi Administrative District and is administered by the department of lands in terms of the State Land Act (Cap:32:01) whereas Farm No.17-JN and Farm No.18 JN are on tribal land administered by Ngwaketse Land Board in terms of the Tribal Land Act of 2018.”

The minister therefore said there was no and or had never been any arrangement in place to transfer Banyana Farms to government property.

Sefhare/Ramokgonami MP, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang, had  wanted to know what informed the transfer of Banyana Farms to government property and the intended objective of such a decision given the existence of scores of similar properties that remain idle across the length and breadth of the country. ENDS