Land Boards encouraged to speed up land allocation
Tapela Morapedi | Tuesday March 28, 2017 16:15
Ngwato Land Board secretary, Neo Mothobi made this plea when addressing leaders of the 15 Sub-Land Boards that fall under her jurisdiction during the strategy formulation retreat in Selebi-Phikwe.
Mothobi said effective land distribution and management will play a key role in realising the ideals of the pillars of the new 2036 national vision.
She said for the country to achieve sustainable economic development as well as social and human development, people must have land for both business and residence. She revealed that Land Boards often send back people with brilliant business ideas seeking business plots, explaining that this hinders the Land Board’s mandate to facilitate sustainable economic development.
She expressed the need for the Land Board activities to be aligned with the national vision, the National Development Plan as well as with the activities of sister departments under the new Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services.
“The new structure under our new Ministry require us to formulate a new strategic plan aligned to Vision 2036, NDP 11 and sustainable development,” she said.
Mothobi urged the officials to take service delivery seriously and ensure compliance to all service standards.
She pointed out that good corporate governance is key to avoid corruption, noting that compromised governance systems have tainted the image of the Land Boards. She urged her team to re-think institutional capacity and governance to ensure increased efficiency and accountability.
“Let us desist from unethical practices in discharging our duties. Let us help Government fight corruption in all its manifestations,” she said.
Mothobi further said Land Boards’ development policies must be anchored on the national principles so that they can influence the national development agenda.
She highlighted that the national principles together with the nation’s vision provide a platform and a guide for policy formulation that will help the country achieve national desires.
She said the Land Board must offer support in relation with the key Government priority areas to achieve sustainable human settlement. She said this is necessary in order to avoid the suffering and social instability caused by landlessness.
Mothobi called on the team to come together and be able to tackle the challenges they face. She said facilitating sustainable development requires concerted effort and collaboration. “As Ngwato Land Board leadership, we must stand as a team to face emerging challenges and transform them into opportunities,” she said.