Tlokweng set for expansion

Larona Makhaiza | Monday June 19, 2023 06:00

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday this week at the Platinum Hotel in Tlokweng, the chairperson of the Land Board Elijah Katse echoed that the plan to augment the settlement areas follows the development plan for Tlokweng, which has now been accepted.

“The Revised Tlokweng Development Plan 2001-2030 has been finalised and approved by the minster and the plan proposes settlement expansion into the ‘Maratadiba’ and Sefoke areas,” Katse stated. Katse further indicated that the decision to expand their settlements has been instigated by the surge in applications for residential plots.

He said with the number of applications so high in Tlokweng, the Land Board has been forced to come up with a solution to ascertain land spaces for plots hence the augmentation.

With Katse bemoaning shortage of land in Tlokweng, he expressed hope that the settlement expansion could help ameliorate the fracas the Land Board finds itself in by providing more hectares for allocation. “The expansion into areas like Maratadiba and Sefoke areas are expected to yield about 4,700 plots,” Katse echoed.

Meanwhile, the chairperson also said the settlement expansion is expected to be more than 800 hectares. “The total area to be covered by the residential expansion areas is 877ha, with another 588ha designated as an economic free zone along the Zeerust road towards the border,” he said. Katse explained that they do not intend to waste any more minute as the Land Board is chasing the clock to meet President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s target of 100,000 land allocations by being underway with the expansion.

“Layouts have been prepared for the expansion areas and are at various stages of the land delivery process. However, the Land Board will be working around the clock to facilitate their allocation this financial year (2023/ 2024),” expressed Katse. While Tlokweng land is embroiled in issues of shortage of space and long waiting lists, the chairperson revealed that they have decided to reduce the size area for residential plots. “To maximize on the little land left and as per the provisions of the Tlokweng Development Plan, new residential plot sizes have been reduced from 900 m2 to 500 m2 as this has resulted in increase on the number of plots that can be obtained,” he stated.

The Land Board expressed that all people who fall victim to land expansion by the entity will be compensated duly and fairly. In addition to the development plan of 2001-2030, the Tlokweng Land Board proposes intensification of developments within the built-up area.

“The Land Board continues to explore the old village with the view to identifying unused spaces for possible survey, demarcation and allocation of residential plot,” he added. But, with the land that has already been ascertained thus far in the old village, Katse revealed that the spaces cannot be planned and allocated because they either have utility services traversing between them; undeveloped allocated land or even serve as community open spaces.

On another matter, Katse explained that Batlokwa will always be given first preference in land allocation as land is allocated by a ratio of 60:40 in favour of Batlokwa.