Who owns Lentswe le Moriti?
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday February 16, 2026 09:53
What was once a place of faith, unity and shared history has now become the centre of a bitter and emotionally charged land dispute that has left residents feeling betrayed, threatened and uncertain about their future.
The dispute erupted after St Engenas Church council chairperson, Piet Lekganyane, informed residents that they had no authority to request government development in the area because the land in question is privately owned. According to him, Lentswe-le-Moriti is a farm under private ownership, and therefore, any government intervention or infrastructure development, such as electricity installation, would require the church’s consent.
This declaration sent shockwaves through the community. While some residents concede that the land may legally be classified as private, their main point of contention lies in the history of how the land was acquired.
They insist that their parents made financial contributions towards the purchase of the land, alongside the church. Importantly, residents are not disputing the role played by the church, and particularly Bishop Dr Lekganyane, in acquiring the land. Rather, they argue that ownership was never intended to exclude the very people who sacrificed to secure it. Tensions escalated further following remarks attributed to Piet Lekganyane, which residents have described as threatening and dismissive. “We understand that some of you have gone to the Member of Parliament requesting that certain developments be done by the government here,” he said. “There is no one who can carry out development, such as installing electricity, without our consent. You must know that we are doing you a favour by allowing you to stay here. We will make difficult laws for you, and no one will stop us.” Such statements have deepened the rift between the church leadership and the community. Adding to residents’ fears, Lekganyane reportedly warned that should the community continue to challenge the church, it would impose lease agreements on every household, effectively formalising their status as tenants on land they believe they helped to buy. In defending the church’s position, Lekganyane said the church had acted out of compassion by accommodating the residents after they were allegedly chased away by the Bakgatla. According to him, the church intervened to provide them with a place to settle, portraying the institution as a benefactor rather than a co-owner with the community.
However, the Lentswe-le-Moriti advisory committee has rejected this narrative. Committee chairperson Batshidi Tsae said the matter has now been escalated to the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, as well as the Office of the President, in a bid to seek clarity and justice.
Tsae emphasised that the community wants Bishop Dr Lekganyane himself to address the issue, arguing that he is the only person with full knowledge of how the land was acquired and the agreements that were made at the time. “He is the only one who can resolve this issue because he knows the truth,” Tsae said. “What is being said by some members of the church council is not true. Our parents played a role in the buying of this land. From the beginning, there were no strict rules and regulations like the ones we are seeing now.”
He further explained that the situation has dramatically changed over time. Initially, representatives from Moria reportedly visited the area and indicated that alternative land would be sought for relocation. However, residents now claim the land is being sold, a move that has intensified fears of displacement and loss of their homes.
Compounding the matter, Tsae alleged that some pastors from the church have barred Lentswe-le-Moriti residents from travelling to Moria, a spiritual centre that holds deep religious significance for them. This development has been especially painful for residents, who feel their faith is now being used as a tool of control rather than comfort. For many in Lentswe-le-Moriti, the dispute is not merely about land ownership, but about dignity, recognition and respect for their history. As the standoff continues, the community waits anxiously for answers, hoping that dialogue, transparency and intervention from authorities will prevent the dispute from escalating further and restore peace to a once-united community. According to the Botswana National Archives and Records, the farm under debate was bought for R7500 in January 1952. Though some had contributed, the main buyer was Dr Lekganyaneng, and it was agreed that the land be transferred to him on behalf of the community and church.
Lentswe-le-Moriti, which is also a farm, is situated in the northern corner of the Tuli Block farms, which, until independence, were largely white-owned. This farm is one of the earliest farms to be bought in the Tuli Block by Africans during the colonial period. It is adjacent to where the Limpopo/Motloutsi River divides the Transvaal in South Africa and Botswana. Mashathu Game Reserve, Talana farms and the Tuli Lodge are situated next to the village. This village remains a neglected area of study despite its uniqueness, which serves as a 'living testimony' of a history of a bitter relation between religion and the state in the then Bechuanaland Protectorate. Today, this relationship has improved, but it is still crucial to the future of this village in more ways than one. Scanty but useful material on Lentswe-le-Moriti is found in the Botswana National Archives in the form of colonial correspondence and reports.
Unfortunately, it depicts the Zionist settlement in a somewhat obscure and sketchy manner. It correctly assumes that 'Zionists at Lentswe-le-Moriti are exclusively Bakgatla who moved from Mochudi.' Yet there are other families in the village which are not Bakgatla by origin.