Mahalapye plot allocations stand at 0.00286%
The Minister of Lands and Water Affairs (MLWA), Dr Kefentse Mzwinila has disclosed that the Mahalapye Sub Land Board is on a back foot towards achieving the 100, 000 plot allocation set target as it has only contributed 0.00286 percent. In Parliament this week, Mzwinila stated that his ministry has been acting swiftly to achieve the target set by the President Mokgweetsi Masisi but, however, he revealed that Mahalapye has not contributed much to the set target.
“There have only been 286 residential plots that have been allocated in Mahalapye in the past two years and at the same time there have not been any allocations in Tewane over the same period,” Mzwinila said.
The minister was responding to a question in Parliament from a Member of Parliament (MP) for Mahalapye West, David Tshere. The MP had asked how many number of plots were allocated in Mahalapye and Tewane. He had asked amongst others the contribution percentage towards the 100, 000 plot allocations set target. Mzwinila further stated that the 0.0286 percent contribution towards the set target comes from the 286 allocated residential plots in Mahalapye.
Despite the low number in percentages of people who were allocated land, the minister stated that it could have been more, as there were people that were called for interviews in the past two years.
“A total of 619 people were called for plot allocation interviews in the past two years. And as I indicated earlier, only 286 of the 619 people interviewed were allocated residential plots in Mahalapye. This indicates that most people on the waiting list do not qualify for plot allocation,” he said.
Furthermore, Mzwinila highlighted that there are other factors that continue to impede the plot allocation around Mahalapye.
“Challenges that inhibit timely land allocation include among others; shortage of land for village expansion, reluctance by farmers to relinquish their ploughing fields for acquisition and delays in plot allocation by dealing with people who already have plots but continue to apply for more plots,” Mzwinila said.
Meanwhile, the minister denoted that they have observed a decrease in residential plots applications in Mahalapye and Tewane. He expressed that in 2019, Mahalapye had registered 20, 739 applications but as of 2023 the applications stand at 14, 210. For Tewane, he said in 2019 the applications stood at 1, 334 and this year they stand at 1, 105.
He further emphasised that the application list should not be mistaken to be the waiting list. “Most of the people in the application list do not qualify for plot allocation and thus the waiting list is more than half of the figures presented.
In conclusion, Mzwinila echoed that they do have some land available for plot allocation.
“Mahalapye West constituency has two base maps, one with 127 plots and the other 258 residential plots. As for Tewane, we expect to have plots available next year,” he concluded.