‘Transfer Land Board powers to dikgosi’
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday February 14, 2022 06:00
They expressed this in most of the kgotla meetings addressed by the Presidential Enquiry Commission on the constitutional review.
Their main gripe is that families are suffering and therefore, failure by the Land Boards to allocate plots to the people has caused more disputes in homes. In all the kgotla meetings that the presidential commission for constitutional review presided over, Batswana have not hesitated on this matter. They believe that dikgosi were doing a much better job when it came to plot allocations than Land Boards, which have left many stranded and out in the bitter cold.
In Mogoditshane alone, the allocation of plots is still on suspension as the Sub Land Board is still facing the challenge of allocating land to 140,000 people on its waiting list that dates back to 1994. The Land Board has since indicated that it will not open new applications until the challenge in the backlog has been addressed.
“Some parents pass on without being given a residential plot and the painful issue is, the Land Board policy does not allow children to inherit their parents' plots that they could be allocated [the plot in place of their deceased parent(s)]. Our dikgosi know us and some of these issues could be avoided. A residential plot is one of the necessities that one needs to have a home,” Godiraone Mokgweetsi said.
She said families are crowded in one yard because they do not have plots to build homes.
Panana Kakoma said the Land Board should only be responsible for issuing land certificates and be the overseer to check if indeed dikgosi allocate residential plots fairly to the people.
“Dikgosi know the youth and parents who have been on the Land Board waiting list for years but they have not been given land for residency. Dikgosi will reduce the residential plots allocation waiting list that currently Land Boards are experiencing. Some Land Board members are only allocating their friends and families while other people have not been assisted,” Kakoma said.
Kealeboga Masoko, who also shared the sentiments as the other speakers, said the issue of plot allocation should also cater for 18-year-old teenagers since they are allowed to vote.
“Why are we trusting 18-year-old teenagers with voting while we cannot allow them to apply for a piece of land? Some youth start work at the age of 21 years and therefore, they can start to build their homes at that age,” Masoko said.
Masoko said maybe the Land Board should only step in to allocate plots in towns not in the villages as dikgosi can take care of the allocation of the residential plots in the villages.