ZCC village to relocate

ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer | Wednesday August 5, 2009 00:00

 

The move is aimed at allowing the 454 residents have access to government programmes and services. Bobirwa Senior Sub-Tribal Authority, Mmirwa Malema said there are plans to relocate Lentswe-Le-Moriti people though they wished they could stay on the farms. 'We wanted to develop it and even elect a kgosana but the owner indicated that it is a mission not a village so it is impossible.'

The settlement is within the farms owned by the St Engenas Zion Christian Church whose headquarters are in Pietersburg, South Africa. Preliminary consultations carried out at Lentswe-Le-Moriti have established that even though the government and the residents constructed immovable properties, it was done without the consent of the ZCC council.

The settlement was established in 1950 when the church members were forced to relocate from Kgatleng District. It is understood that the residents who are dominantly ZCC members settled on the farm with the consent of the church. Since then the government has developed the area through provision of services and building roads, a health post and a primary school with an enrolment of 75 pupils. There is no land allocation or chief in the settlement since it is in a free hold area. A report forwarded to President Ian Khama by the area MP, Shaw Kgathi early this year indicated that consultations have found that the church members understand that their stay in the land is conditional and they must obey the terms and conditions of the farm owner. The report stated that the church council advised the residents not to construct permanent structures though some have not heeded the counsel. It said there is no provision for the settlement to have a kgosana because the place is a mission and the church council and residents know this. People of Lentswe-Le-Moriti have continued to stay on the farms surrounded by wildlife and this has posed a danger to their lives. The proposed Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (TFCA) between South Africa and Botswana, along the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers will pose further peril to the residents as more dangerous wild animals will roam the farms. The report indicated that there is no possibility of any further development of the area by the people since none of them own any land. In addition the government cannot develop more infrastructure and residents will not be able to access government benefits, such as agricultural programmes.

The report established that teachers and other civil servants have over the years been reluctant to be posted to Lentswe-Le-Moriti given its remoteness and the fact that there are no facilities such as shops, kiosks and bars. It proposed that the residents be settled in the neighbouring villages or any other places of their choice. Under this proposal, it is expected that residents will apply for residential and agricultural lands in areas such as Motlhabaneng, Mathathane and Molalatau.

Another proposal in the report is for the government to purchase the farms from the church and subdivide it. This has been rejected on the grounds that even if the government buys the farms, the area will have to be cattle and arable farming free given the existing land use and the intended establishment of the TFCA.

The report recommended that there is need for dialogue between the owner of the farms and the government to determine the modalities of resettlement and associated expenses and that the church council should spearhead the consultation on the need for relocation of the residents.