Residents Question Awarding of Huge Chunks Of Land

Koketso Kgoboge | Monday August 17, 2015 12:11

The kgotla meeting held to focus on findings from an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study led by consultants commissioned by the landowners went awry.

The concerned groups took to task Sangwenu Consultants, the company that did the environmental study on two plots, found itself caught between a rock and a hard place when handling fielded questions.

At the meeting, Sangwenu officials felt hard done by residents and PDAT members, who fired questions at them wanting to know how the two companies were allocated the plots.

An official from the firm, Onangweni Mangole refused to be drawn into the matter saying the company is only tasked with handling the EIA study for their employers.

First to grill Mangole was the chairperson of the PDAT committee, Elizabeth Gabathuse whose team came into office in August 2014.

“According to my knowledge these plots belong to the community of Palapye.  We do not have records showing how the two companies were allocated the land. The last committee did not inform us of these two companies. We made efforts to try to communicate to the companies, but they referred us to their lawyers,” Gabathuse said.

“The district commissioner, council secretary, dikgosi and the community do not know about the allocation of these plots.  Therefore we cannot allow these companies to develop the land until the matter (of ownership status of the plots) is resolved.  We need to understand how the companies acquired the plots in question,” she said.

Gabathuse added that the previous PDAT committee has failed to avail the minutes for the allocation of the two plots.

According to the elders who attended the gathering they welcomed developments in the village, but wanted them to be brought in a transparent manner.

One of the elders, Simon Keitshokile pleaded with the PDAT committee to do all it can to establish the ownership status of the two plots.

Another villager, Isaac Maforaga also recommended that the PDAT committee be left to deal with the land matter.

“This committee should have not taken over from the last before clearing all matters surrounding the allocation of these plots. We will patiently wait for the committee to come back and inform us on the status of the land,” Maforaga said.

Employers of the consulting firm, Holistic Ventures and Access Works, are in possession of the leases to Lot LA269 and Lot LA736 measuring five hectares and nine hectares respectively.

The two companies respectively want to construct a shopping complex and a hotel on the disputed plots.