Quarry, villagers case on today

ISAIAH MOREWAGAE
Staff Writer | Friday February 12, 2010 00:00

The case which has been postponed several times due to the unavailability of either attorneys for the litigants or the judge himself is expected to continue before Justice Key Dingake.

The case, which has been registered as Quarries of Botswana vs. GaMalete Development Trust and two others, was initially scheduled to start sometime last year but was postponed because Justice Dingake was unavailable.

The people of Mmokolodi have been at loggerheads with the quarrying company for some years now.

At one time, matters came to a head when the villagers threatened to block the road used by the company’s heavy trucks and earthmoving vehicles.

The villagers were angry that the company reneged on its part of a quid pro quo: Quarries of Botswana had pledged to tar the road in return for using it.

The villagers were also incensed that the company was failing to stop other earthmoving companies from using the road without their permission.

GaMalete Development Trust is not new to controversy over land.

The organisation was formed in 2003 to protect and develop all of the tribe’s freehold property, including Forest Hill 9KO, otherwise known as Kgale Farms, after it became evident that the government was interested in the land.