FED UP
Gabane Central Ward Councillor Obakeng Sekolokwane is accusing the Kweneng Main Land Board and Mogoditshane Sub Land Board of failing to address a string of land-related grievances.
Sekolokwane says the people of Gabane and neighbouring fields have waited for too long for government to act. He says government’s acquisition of ploughing fields through the Kweneng Main Land Board and its subordinate
Mogoditshane Land Board came with promises of compensation in kind, but displaced farmers are still waiting.
The frustration has been compounded by delays in the issuing of approved land certificates, lack of access to board resolutions and what he describes as ignored infill applications.
Other demands include the conclusion of ploughing field subdivisions, clear timelines on Mpelle Bana and the registration of Mekgoro residential storage plots.
Sekolokwane warns that if the situation continues like this, the community could strike and rebel. Such action, he insists, would not be driven by a desire for chaos, but by government’s failure to deal with land matters within reasonable timeframes.
The Councillor says land remains a critical livelihood and economic issue for Gabane residents, particularly those whose agricultural fields have been affected by development and land acquisition.
“Land is life. Land is food. Land is the only thing that will change our economic status,” he said. Sekolokwane promised to take the matter for discussion in the upcoming full council.
“I want the District Council Secretary to immediately transmit the demands to both the Kweneng Main Land Board and Mogoditshane Sub Land Board and for them to provide written timeframes within 14 days for addressing all grievances.
At its last meeting, Kweneng Land Board acknowledged that the issues are complex and cannot be resolved uniformly. Officials said they would address queries individually until solutions are found, admitting the process has been slow.
They noted that plot allocations have stalled for a long time, leaving some residents without certificates, after operations were halted when irregularities were discovered within the offices.