Kgatleng landowners plead with banks for mercy
Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday December 13, 2021 06:00
The spokesperson for the over 100 affected land owners, Gilbert Sesinyi told a press briefing on Wednesday that they are relentless in their pursuit and have since looked up to banks as government is not willing to listen to them.
The aggrieved find themselves between a rock and a hard place as some have already been given up to February 8, 2022 to destroy their multimillion-pula projects back into ploughing fields. This came about after Kgatleng Land Board told the landowners in the Mmamashia area that Oodi Sub Land Board had wrongfully granted them changes of land use.
They tried to engage with the Land Board, but nothing came up. They went on to write to the Ombudsman, reported Land Board officers to the police, reported to President Mokgweetsi Masisi, Chief of Staff Boyce Sebetela, Minister Kefentse Mzwinila, but received no positive feedback. “This is not the end of it, nobody is going to have their property destroyed as a result of a Land Tribunal which reports to Permanent Secretary at the Ministry. We shall be going to courts at all costs and engaging the best of lawyers to defend our properties. In the meantime, we are appealing to the banking industry to join us in this fight as they are likely to lose more than us,” Sesinyi wrote to the banks.
“This communication serves to inform you as interested parties in the business value chain of challenges facing many Batswana and citizen-owned businesses emanating from the unlawful and irrational conduct of Kgatleng Land Board and some Ministry of Lands departments. This is in relation to various transactions where clients after getting necessary approvals from Government and Kgatleng Land Board engaged in different businesses to unlock commercial value out of their land, build businesses and create employment.”
He further stated that following Masisi’s call to remove restrictions in the land use conventions, the government amended the necessary regulatory instruments to facilitate easier change of land use for the economic benefit of citizens. Sesinyi also said the affected citizens made applications mostly in 2019 and were approved by the Sub Land Boards, Council Physical Planning and Department of Surveys.
“The clients then ordinarily made their financial plans/ investments in accordance with income that is expected from the sale/ rental/ business activity that follows the approvals. Some of the capital invested is directly from the local commercial banks, or in some instances where clients had existing loans, they adjusted plans to repay using proceeds from these businesses. The investments made in building various infrastructure currently run into millions of pula,” he added.
He went on to state their challenges and that they would soon go to courts with class action and individuals to sue for damages saying the developments are extremely unfortunate for an economy and government preaching citizen empowerment and investor attraction.
“We humbly request the banking industry to note this completely undeserved circumstances on the part of clients and exercise all possible leniency in dealing with clients who are as a result struggling with repayments. We also request the banking industry to engage with government authorities in all available forums and discuss how these developments affect business, the economy and the ease of doing business in Botswana,” he said.
Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services Ministry was yet to respond to a Mmegi questionnaire sent to them. The publication wanted to establish what the role of the Ministry is in the whole fracas.