Land Feud Erupts In Mochudi

Aland dispute has erupted in Makgophane ward with residents up in arms accusing the Mochudi Sub-Land Board of corruptly awarding ploughing fields in neighbouring Makgalagadi Lands to one Jomo Mokgatlhe.

While Mokgatlhe claims that his aunt Tebogo Gaetsaloe gave him 27 hectares of land, she and other neighbours claim she had made it clear that her field was just five hectares.

Speaking to The Monitor just outside the newly fenced land, the elderly men who claimed Mokgatlhe took the fields bemoaned the Sub Land- Board was dragging its feet in addressing the matter.

“It all started when Mma Gaetsaloe transferred the field to her nephew Mokgatlhe. She had stated clearly that her field was five hectares.

We were, however, surprised to see Mokgatlhe erecting a fence around the said land,” one of the elders, Chuna Mokgethisi said. “When we asked him questions, he showed us the certificate and told us it was all his land.

We went to ask Gaetsaloe what happened and she told us that she only gave him five hectares and is also shocked to learn that his certificate stated that his land was 27 hectares.”

Solomon Sello decried that his elderly mother Botsanyang Sello was listed as witness on Mokgatlhe’s certificate while indeed she was not present when the field was allocated.

Former VDC member, Bakang Senai decried that the Sub

Land Board was reluctant to attend to the matter.

“We wrote a letter that was signed by the concerned parties, Kgosana and councillor on September 28 with a promise that we would get responses in 10 days. They kept quiet and we followed up on October 19 only to realise they had not done anything to attend to the issue. They then promised to go to the fields on the 23rd but did not keep their word,” he said. Gaetsaloe confirmed to this publication that she indeed authored a letter to Mokgethisi and another complainant Chelane Kube in which she acknowledges their concerns.

She states in the letter that was copied to Kgatleng Land Board that the ploughing field she had given to Mokgatlhe is five hectares and not 27 hectares as stated in Mokgatlhe’s certificate.

Contacted for comment, Mokgatlhe said he did nothing wrong.

“This is all jealousy from the people who do not want to see me doing well.

The plot that was given to me by my aunt is 27 hectares. She was there when the Land Board marked the pegs, which she pointed out to them because she could not recall others.

She did not have any objections and I do not know why she is now saying something different. And these people who claim that I took their land are not telling the truth. They had built kraals within the field and now want to claim the land,” he said.

Efforts to get a comment from the Sub-Land Board proved futile at the time of going to print. Board chairperson, referred to as Rre Dintsi, would not field questions on Friday afternoon as he was said to be attending a Board meeting.