Tlokweng faces LAPCAS hurdle
Mpho Mokwape | Wednesday April 1, 2015 11:09
During a stakeholders meeting at the board offices, principal land surveyor, Nehemiah Tokonyane said the LAPCAS project is lagging behind in Tlokweng due to certain challenges.
“The LAPCAS project is slow because there have been some challenges such as inadequate or ineffective communication, absent plot owners, plots that are not demarcated, reluctance to register plots and unauthorised sub-divisions of land among other things,” he explained.
The LAPCAS project is meant to ensure that all land is accounted for especially through the systematic adjudication of rights in tribal areas and to aid the Ministry of Lands and Housing to attain efficient land administration.
In Tlokweng, Tokonyane said despite the noble aims of the project, residents were still reluctant to register their plots for easier computerisation.
He said it has not been easy because there were still administration problems such as double allocation of land, land conflicts, difficulty in determining the land availability, unclear land allocations and their extent and unreliable information on current owners.
“Land administration problems have been a challenge for the board in carrying and properly implementing the LAPCAS project,” he said.
But despite all the challenges and problems, he said there have been some achievements including the completion of surveying in the residential areas of the village, inspection of developments and the approval of cadastral boundaries.
Deputy chief for Batlokwa, Spokes Gaborone said the board in its quest to address and state land rights should protect the residents.
He said the residents are reluctant to register their plots because they do not trust the board in protecting their ownership rights. “Residents of this village should be protected, otherwise we will remain naked while others enjoy rights to the land that belong to the villagers,” he said.
Chairperson of the board, Thuso Bogatsu said problems associated with agricultural land are worrying.
He said many people claim big chunks of agricultural land and depart from the normal size they were given. Some even claim communal agricultural land.
“Claiming big chunks of land such as masimo in some areas and claiming allocation was made by bogosi where one cannot prove rights continues to be our biggest challenge,” he said.
He said other issues faced by the board include claims over plots and lands which were never used for almost a century and squatting.
These often results from self-allocation, putting corner poles, and developing land without notifying the board.