Kweneng Land Board to repossess 800 'stolen' plots
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday July 26, 2022 06:00
Further, it would share all information about its activities with the community through different media platforms including social media.
Kweneng Land Board, especially through Mogoditshane Sub-Land Board has over the years made news for the wrong reasons with the most shocking revelation to the effect that 38 Mogoditshane Sub-Land Board employees amassed 800 plots dubiously.
Speaking at a press briefing in Mogoditshane on Friday, Kgang acknowledged that they were aware of Mogoditshane Sub-Land Board’s nefarious corruption acts.
He, however, pointed out that they managed to clean office by firing 38 of their employees who bought fields from farm owners ahead of Land Board because they knew they were going to benefit immensely if they were to be the ones who sold the same farms to the Land Board. Kgang said they are on a mission to reclaim all the land without harming innocent third parties involved in the transactions.
“Those 38 employees wanted to get compensation from us and some have since been fired. There are 800 plots between them which we are going to confiscate. It is sad because they worked with some board members,” he said.
“Land Board employees do not give out plots but the Board is the one that investigates and allocates land. We went to seek legal advice and we are going to take those plots.
They had a resolution so they thought that since they knew Land Board resolutions there was nothing that could be done against them.”
He explained that they as authorities had to find out from some of the fields’ owners that the former employees bought the land from them. Kgang pointed out that the officers were too clever because they did not make any bank transactions to the owners, but rather paid in cash while they paid some with plots.
He, however, pointed out that they were going to follow the legal route to ensure a fair trial. Kgang added that they would continue cleaning up corruption so that the public can have faith in Kweneng Sub Land Boards including Mogoditshane.
Moreover, he pointed out that the Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs (MLWA) had a target to allocate a minimum of 100,000 plots by end of the 2022–2023 financial year in March 2023. He said Kweneng Land Board was to allocate 11,285 towards the ministry target.
He, however, pointed out that the plots planned for allocation were to be realised from layouts that were at different stages of preparation as well as base maps that had already been submitted to the district council.
“In partial fulfilment of the target of 100,000 plots, all Land Boards have been instructed to allocate 39,201 plots that are currently available and ready for allocation by end of July. Out of the 39,201 plots, Kweneng Land Board is to allocate 909 plots as follows; 162 plots at Mogoditshane Block 4 under Mogoditshane Sub Land Board, 197 plots at Gakgatla under Thamaga Sub Land Board, and 550 plots at Takatokwane under Motokwe Sub Land Board. Allocations are currently ongoing at the three Sub Land Boards and a total of 349 plots have already been allocated as of July 15, 2022,” he revealed.
Kgang further explained that vetting of applicants and allocations was continuing to dispose of all the 909 plots by the end of July. He added that an estimated 10,793 plots were at different stages of preparation.
He pointed out that they faced land allocation challenges such as a lengthy acquisition process where land right holders are reluctant to release land due to compensation issues, inadequate resources for timely production of plots (preparation of layout plans and survey), and applicants not turning up for allocation interviews.
He added they were therefore forced to make second advertisements calling on people for land interviews that were also time-consuming.