Bamalete to finally enjoy fruits of their land
Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday June 13, 2023 06:00
Kgosi Mosadi Seboko told Bamalete at a Kgotla on Saturday that they have engaged consultants on how to best reap from the land as a tribe. She was, however, quick to state that she would not allow for plot allocations.
Kgosi Mosadi said she would love to see the old Bamalete Livestock Improvement Centre turned into a heritage site. The land in question dates back to 1925 when Balete bought a farm known as Forest Hill 9-KO for investment purposes.
The tribe contributed to raising the 3,000 Sterling Pounds required to purchase the land from Aaron Siew. Kgosi Mosadi was speaking to those living with albinism whom she said sometimes they do not attend meetings because of how they are mistreated and took the chance to update them on the land issue. They were gathered at the Kgotla as Mascom donated spectacles and skin creams to people living with albinism.
According to Kgosi Mosadi, the 2,000-hectare land’s estimated value is P1 billion while government had in the past offered a paltry P2 million. “We are concerned that people living with albinism do not attend Kgotla meetings. We were supposed to be having another Kgotla meeting to discuss land issues. Government took us to court.
They wanted the plot we bought for ourselves. In one of the documents used in court cases, there was a letter by the former minister, the late Ramadeluka Seretse to Cabinet which stated that the land belonged to Bamalete and they have a title deed. He revealed that in 1972, Members of Parliament decided that government should dispossess them of the land because it was only Bamalete which had bought themselves a farm. They decided because other Merafe did not buy, they should not own land,” she said.
Kgosi Mosadi said Bamalete were forward-looking no matter the tribulations they went through. She said they have since gotten the land. She wanted them to have a meeting and decide on how the land will be used. “The land was bought for agricultural purposes, particularly livestock production.
We hear of elite bulls imported from the USA. Bamalete in the 1930s had a similar breeding centre. If you can go there now, there is a reservoir, dip tanks and a borehole and that is where the quality breed bulls were kept. Bamalete used to take their cattle there for breeding. Even if it is not mentioned that Bamalete did this before, the evidence is there,” she said.
Kgosi Mosadi said looking at the fact that structures are still holding, it could be a good idea to use the place as a heritage site to show what forward-looking Bamalete did. She called on other merafe to hold hands and be able to come up with projects that can take them far. “That is my thinking; we shall explore options in consultation with you and consultants.
I, however, strongly believe we should prioritise food and livestock production. We could also lease out some land to investors. But let me be clear that I will not agree that people be granted plots. People would then go on to sell. Again, the land is not big enough to afford each and every Molete to get a plot,” she said.