New development but same old wounds
Tawana landboard has started processing applications for change of land use, transfers and related transactions in Mababe village after eightyears of inactivity.
Despite this seemingly positive development, the Board’s Chairman, Emmanuel Dube, has stressed that there will be no fresh allocations of land in this area.
“I did address Mababe residents last week about this issue. What needs to be understood here is that Mababe is on State land and until the status quo changes and Mababe is declared tribal land, it remains out of our jurisdiction,” Dube explained.
The landboard froze land allocations in Mababe in 2012 after the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services opined that the board should not have made the allocation in what is in fact a wildlife management area - i.e. State land.
However, in a recent savingram to the landboard, the ministry acknowledged that it was taking longer than anticipated to facilitate the proper administration of land in Mababe. Thus government deemed that the landboard could resume transfers and other related land transactions, with the notable exception of allocations.
The area councillor, Kebadiretse Ntsogotho, welcomed the long overdue development although he bemoaned the fact that there would still be no new land allocations.
Ntsogotho noted that the eight years of inactivity have stalled developments in the area and effectively reduced the residents to abject poverty. He explained that the only revenue of income in the area was through tourism-related ventures, as it is against the law to rear livestock or plough crops in a wildlife protection zone.
“Even the tourism activities are an exclusive reserve to a few because even those with plots are unable to make transfers or change their use for tourism purposes,” said Ntsogotho, who doubles as North West District Council Chairperson.
He added that with the tourism industry currently on its knees due to the coronavirus pandemic, even this source of revenue has been greatly reduced.
“Those who were making a living by working in local safari companies no longer have any source of income. Life continues to be a challenge in this area. Just like any other village, Mababe is growing in population numbers and if this problem is not addressed as a matter of urgency, we are going to face a much bigger problem than at hand.”
Turning his ire on government’s inefficiency, Ntsogotho said, “For a long time, this village was supposed to be sub-divided such that the other part falls into State land and the residential area is made tribal land. It is a promise long made by government to the people and it needs to be done.”
Ntsogotho revealed he is planning to facilitate a meeting between the landboard management and the North West District Council management to see how the team can help fast track the matter.
“Ordinarily, the landboard is supposed to spearhead discussions on this matter but I feel it is about time we come in and push them to do the needful. As it is, electrification of Mababe village is ongoing but people are not certain as to how they will benefit from it; will they be able to make connections to their homes as some were given plots but applications were frozen before they were issued with certificates? These are the questions we are getting because there is a lot of confusion going on around Mababe land rights,” Ntsogotho explained.