Move or be moved: Block 5 squatters face Feb 28 deadline
Friday, January 26, 2018
Things had been quiet for five years. At some point during those years, the community of squatters living at the edge of Block 5 must have believed the October 2011 Lobatse High Court ruling ordering them off the land, must have simply been forgotten by authorities.
Since 1999, or even 20 years earlier by some reports, the squatter community had grown steadily, fuelled in part by the fact that the 77-hectare plot lying west of the Grand Palm complex appeared to have no owner. From shacks, the squatters grew bolder, building permanent structures and establishing informal businesses as their numbers began to rise.
The Ministry of Agriculture, local producers, retailers, and industry associations must work together to overcome the obstacles hindering vegetable production and distribution.This collaborative approach is essential to improve the availability, quality, and affordability of vegetables in the market.Firstly, the Ministry of Agriculture should provide support and guidance to local farmers to enhance their productivity and efficiency. This could...