- BDP member recommended to become Kweneng Landboard chairperson - Dr Chimbombi petitioned over Landboard leadership
Pressure is mounting on Minister of Lands and Agriculture Dr Micus Chimbombi not to appoint a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) member to act as Kweneng Landboard Chairperson.
The BDP member, Tshepo Wareus has been recommended to replace suspended Chairperson Kgang Kgang. Following the recommendation by the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, the landboard employees, former landboard members and some members of the community especially those associated with the ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) are this week up in arms against the appointment of Wareus.
Their argument is that Wareus leadership style is not different from that of Kgang as she deputised him before.
“We have petitioned the minister calling for the suspension of Kgang and for investigations to be done. Our concern was abuse of office by the chairperson.
“There has been maladministration that happened under his leadership and the person they want to appoint was second in command,” a senior landboard official said.
According to the official, the minister has not responded to their petition and concerns regarding the matter. Their fears are that the recommended replacement will not do anything different to change the status quo.
Kgang who is also the Botswana Association of Tribal Land Authorities (BATLA) President has been suspended pending investigations but reasons have not been shared with him.
Kgang has for long not been a favourite of communities within his jurisdiction especially Gabane, Tloaneng, Metsimotlhabe, Mankgodi and Mogoditshane.
Among the thorny issues were the repossession of plots which the landboard argued were not allocated within the parameters of the law; threats for demolition of unlawfully allocated plots; and the different positions held by the Kweneng landboard and Mogoditshane Sub-Landboard on the processes of allocating plots.
Kweneng landboard at some point reversed all the decisions of allocation made by the Mogoditshane Sub-landboard.
Some UDC members have argued that it will be irresponsible for Dr Chimbombi to appoint a BDP card carrying member who is actively in politics to serve under the UDC government.
One of the strong contenders of this appointment within UDC in Kweneng is Moreetsi Gomang who indicated that he has for long, together with other community members, suffered at the hands of the BDP-led landboard.
“We have suffered enough under their leadership but because they are staunch BDP members the past regime cared less. We have had clashes with the landbaord especially the suspended chairperson in various platforms of engagements.
“We lost our land because of them and the suggested person was the second in command and you cannot tell me she is better than him”, Gomang argued.
Gomang, a staunch UDC member who contested for Parliamentary seat under the UDC in the 2019 general elections revealed that there is no how they will allow their party to take such a reckless decision.
According to Gomang, he experienced the brutality of the Kweneng Landboard when he was serving in the Gabane-Mankgodi Constituency office when people lost their land under the guise of developments.
“People were not appointed on merit but to safeguard the interest of the past regime. Balete, Bakwena and residents of these areas should be worried when a BDP member who once served in the board as deputy chairperson is considered for the top post.
“I personally plead with Wareus not to accept the offer. The UDC and BDP policies on land are not the same,” Gomang said, stating that they will not rest until the minister does the right thing and address the concerns of the landboard employees.
Last year Kweneng Landboard suffered a major loss against the Ministry of Lands, Water and Sanitation employees as the Court of Appeal (CoA) rejected its appeal.
Efforts to speak to Dr Chimbombi were futile at press time as his mobile phone was not going through. The minister was also at the time attending cabinet orientation workshop.
The landboard has been in legal tussle with nine employees who accused it of failing to subdivide and allocate them ploughing fields despite the approval of their application to that effect in 2019.
The Land Board had failed to file court documents including an answering affidavit when the matter was first brought against it.
The BDP member, Tshepo Wareus has been recommended to replace suspended Chairperson Kgang Kgang. Following the recommendation by the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, the landboard employees, former landboard members and some members of the community especially those associated with the ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) are this week up in arms against the appointment of Wareus.
Their argument is that Wareus leadership style is not different from that of Kgang as she deputised him before.
“We have petitioned the minister calling for the suspension of Kgang and for investigations to be done. Our concern was abuse of office by the chairperson.
“There has been maladministration that happened under his leadership and the person they want to appoint was second in command,” a senior landboard official said.
According to the official, the minister has not responded to their petition and concerns regarding the matter. Their fears are that the recommended replacement will not do anything different to change the status quo.
Kgang who is also the Botswana Association of Tribal Land Authorities (BATLA) President has been suspended pending investigations but reasons have not been shared with him.
Kgang has for long not been a favourite of communities within his jurisdiction especially Gabane, Tloaneng, Metsimotlhabe, Mankgodi and Mogoditshane.
Among the thorny issues were the repossession of plots which the landboard argued were not allocated within the parameters of the law; threats for demolition of unlawfully allocated plots; and the different positions held by the Kweneng landboard and Mogoditshane Sub-Landboard on the processes of allocating plots.
Kweneng landboard at some point reversed all the decisions of allocation made by the Mogoditshane Sub-landboard.
Some UDC members have argued that it will be irresponsible for Dr Chimbombi to appoint a BDP card carrying member who is actively in politics to serve under the UDC government.
One of the strong contenders of this appointment within UDC in Kweneng is Moreetsi Gomang who indicated that he has for long, together with other community members, suffered at the hands of the BDP-led landboard.
“We have suffered enough under their leadership but because they are staunch BDP members the past regime cared less. We have had clashes with the landbaord especially the suspended chairperson in various platforms of engagements.
“We lost our land because of them and the suggested person was the second in command and you cannot tell me she is better than him”, Gomang argued.
Gomang, a staunch UDC member who contested for Parliamentary seat under the UDC in the 2019 general elections revealed that there is no how they will allow their party to take such a reckless decision.
According to Gomang, he experienced the brutality of the Kweneng Landboard when he was serving in the Gabane-Mankgodi Constituency office when people lost their land under the guise of developments.
“People were not appointed on merit but to safeguard the interest of the past regime. Balete, Bakwena and residents of these areas should be worried when a BDP member who once served in the board as deputy chairperson is considered for the top post.
“I personally plead with Wareus not to accept the offer. The UDC and BDP policies on land are not the same,” Gomang said, stating that they will not rest until the minister does the right thing and address the concerns of the landboard employees.
Last year Kweneng Landboard suffered a major loss against the Ministry of Lands, Water and Sanitation employees as the Court of Appeal (CoA) rejected its appeal.
Efforts to speak to Dr Chimbombi were futile at press time as his mobile phone was not going through. The minister was also at the time attending cabinet orientation workshop.
The landboard has been in legal tussle with nine employees who accused it of failing to subdivide and allocate them ploughing fields despite the approval of their application to that effect in 2019.
The Land Board had failed to file court documents including an answering affidavit when the matter was first brought against it.