New plots mushroom

New plots have just emerged from nowhere along the 100 kilometres Masama-Mmamashia water pipeline route being constructed to the P781 million by Khato Civils.

Khato has long cleared the route and started trenching in some parts, but was forced to avoid some places where there are encroachments on the route in order to give their client - Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) - time to clear the hurdles with the concerned land owners.

So far, there are 20 more new allocations or encroachments on the route a matter that has caused the environmental consultants, Geoflux and WUC, to summon the three Kgatleng sub landboards for a meeting to determine the way forward.

Botswana Guardian investigations found that at least one house belonging to the Matlhware family will be demolished as it is not only encroaching, but the better part of the house is built exactly on the route path.

Botswana Guardian has established that the elderly parent, Jane Matlhware who was duly compensated for part of her plot gave the remaining part to her son who in turn built a house on the route path.

Explaining what could be delaying those encroaching to pave way for the project which falls within the Kgatleng district and traverses Artesia, Mochudi and Oodi respectively, Geoflux Executive Director Elmah Nthebolan explained that within that 100 kilometres water pipeline stretch there are properties that fall within the jurisdiction.

The initial work was done as part of the NSC 2.2 project where an initial servitude of a total of 50 metres from the A1 road was extended to 70 metres servitude.

For the good part of the corridor there are instances where they could not extend beyond 50 metres because there were some land restrictions, but to be able to accommodate three major pipelines being the existing NSC1, the planned NSC 2 and a few future provision was made for NSC 3 hence the need to extend the servitude from 50 to 70 metres.

Indeed assessment was done and compensation was effected for most of the properties with a few outstanding. That notwithstanding because the project took a bit long to be implemented, it would appear like there were new allocations that were made after the initial assessment and the compensation thereof.

“As of 31st August 2020 there were 20 of what we would term new allocations or because we are still undergoing a verification process with the respective sub-Land board, it would appear like after the allocation and the compensations, there were fresh allocations that were made.

“The reason why we are made to believe that they are fresh, is because you will find that some allocations date back as either 2019 and 2018 or 2017 at the most. So this is what we are currently dealing with. As a way forward, we went to the site and made an appointment with the respective sub Land-boards to talk about way forward in terms of what should pertain, whether indeed those were genuine allocations and if they are, what could have been the reasons behind those allocations and also how the respective sub–land boards will assist us given that the contractor is already on site. The first batch of the pipes has already arrived and that means we have to hit the ground running,” said Nthebolan.

They have also engaged the Mochudi sub land-board and went to site with their technical officers. “We have provided them with coordinates for the servitudes so that they can super impose the new allocations on the servitude and be able to determine when the allocations were made, if it was maybe an oversight on the part of the land board so that they could rectify if it was an oversight on their part, or maybe if indeed those were overlooked at the initial assessments.

“The land-board has assured us of their support and cooperation, we are very hopeful that the matter will be resolved amicably and expeditiously given that the contractor is on site”.

Nthebolan said there is also need to indicate that most of these allocations are not necessarily built up properties but are just land rights because somebody has already been allocated a piece of land or in some instances, just fences.

“There are about three where we have properties as in houses that have already been built and we believe the land board will also give us guidance in terms of way forward and we will resolve the matter with the affected parties.”

WUC Principal Environmental Assessment Practitioner Boitumelo Molale collaborated Nthebolan’s version stating that the initial compensation exercise was done by the Programme Management Office (PEMO) in the Ministry of Land Water and Sanitation Services and a total of 54 land owners were compensated.

The exercise stated in 2014 and is still ongoing as some people are still to be compensated. “You will find that the plot owner is not there or nowhere to be found or has queries.

“We just had a meeting today with Artesia sub land- board and they indicated that the list of new allocations has gone up from the 20 they had. We do not have the exact number of new encroachment that are coming up.

“But we have agreed with the land board that we will expedite these issues because we have just learned that terms of most land board members had expired and as such, they are waiting for new appointments and that takes time. We have also realised that some of the land owners were nowhere to be found during the assessment exercise and now that the project started they too begun coming forth indicating their presence. We agreed if there are new plots, it means they were allocated after the allocation and that means, it is upon the land board to allocate them somewhere else”.

Cooperation

Molale explained that among those whose property is encroaching is the former MP for Shoshong, Dikgang Makgalemele.

“I have already had a meeting with him and we discussed the matter and we have agreed that WUC is going to ask for two metres of his screen wall to be moved inside the yard so that we can allow for construction of the pipeline without disturbing his house.

“We have also agreed that we are not going to compensate him as he was already compensated”.

Makgalemela told Botswana Guardian that the plot was allocated to his wife a long time ago. He said part of the plot has been taken and they have been compensated.

“We built our house knowing that we are out of the route, but we had to agree with the authorities to break the wall in order to pave way for national development,” he said.