High land sales annoy Tlokweng tribal leadership
Adispleased Kgosi Puso Gaborone has urged his people not to sell land as it is a precious commodity that can rescue them from dire situations.
He reminded Batlokwa of the historic and intrinsic value of land and its sacred significance to them.
Kgosi Gaborone said the population of Tlokweng has significantly increased from the early 2000s where the village had around 21 000 people and according to the latest census there are over 55 517 people in the village.
The population of Tlokweng exceeds the land that is available for allocation.
Kgosi Gaborone says that over 60 000 people have applied for land in the area. This is despite the fact that available land in Tlokweng is scarce.
Kgosi Gaborone further noted that 70 percent of applicants were originally outsiders, but in efforts to curb the rise, government swiftly moved to create a policy that allows 60 percent of the land to be allocated to native Batlokwa and 40 percent to people from outside.
However, Kgosi Gaborone has noted that now majority of the people getting land in Tlokweng are people who are not from Tlokweng. What saddens
Kgosi Gaborone is that this is a growing trend around the nation where people are selling land in large numbers.
To add salt to injury, Kgosi Gaborone notes that some people illegally occupy land, whilst those that sold their land move in with their parents and create a living situation of overcrowded families.
These people then move to demand that their parents give them their inheritance whilst the parents are still alive. He said that Batswana need to learn how to use land to benefit them instead of selling it off to people.
“This land is a gift from God,” Kgosi Gaborone said, further explaining that it is the responsibility of people to keep land that has been given to them because it is a precious gift.
Further, that since the President had set a target of 100 000 plots to be allocated, the Tlokweng Land Board set a target of allocating 1051 residential plots.
Kgosi Gaborone revealed that the Tlokweng Land Board has so far allocated 987 residential plots and they are confident that they will reach the target.
“Transfer of land rights remains a problem in Tlokweng,” Kgosi Gaborone said, adding that sub divisions are also prevalent.
Those that do this then hike prices and sell to foreigners ensuring that the gap between the haves and have nots continues to grow.
From 2015 Tlokweng Land Board has received 2173 requests for transfer of plots. Kgosi Gaborone said that even though there are measures in place, it is evident that people dispose of their land in large numbers.
Even though there is the 60 percent policy, 700 Batlokwa have been allocated land with 118 of them selling land that was already allocated to them. Kgosi Gaborone revealed that this was from the period of April 2022 to February 2024.
“Some people transfer land before they even see where it is,” Kgosi Gaborone said, adding that people must be equipped with methods of making a living from land instead of selling it off.
Thulaganyo Segokgo, Member of Parliament for Tlokweng, urged Batlokwa to embrace sustainable land development practices and preserve their cultural heritage for generations to come.
He quoted Leviticus 25: 23, reminding the audience that land is a divine gift entrusted to humanity for stewardship. He stressed the importance of developing the land without resorting to selling it, highlighting sustainable agricultural practices as a means to increase productivity while safeguarding the land’s fertility and biodiversity.
Segokgo urged his community to take advantage of government initiatives like Temo Letlotlo to maximise the potential of their land for wealth creation, emphasising the role of agriculture in ensuring food security and contributing to the country’s economy.
Highlighting alarming statistics on the rate of land sales to non- Batlokwa, Segokgo underscored the threat this trend poses to the cultural identity, economic independence, and self- sufficiency of the community.
In response to these challenges, Segokgo called for unity and concerted action within the community. He emphasised the need for education on land stewardship and the provision of resources for sustainable development.
Additionally, he urged collaboration with government and other stakeholders to enact policies that protect Batlokwa land from exploitation and ensure its long- term prosperity.
The Chairman of Tlokweng Land Board Elijah Katse noted that the prime location of Tlokweng makes the land very valuable, which has resulted in an influx of almost 60 000 applicants.
Katse revealed that more than 70 percent of applicants are Batswana who are not from Tlowkeng. This factor according to Katse disadvantages the natives of the village.
Widespread illegal land occupation, overcrowded family units and land inheritance disputes are some of the persistent problems that they face with allocating land, Katse said. He explained that there is a need to give Batswana more information about investment opportunities created by land.
The land investment pitso hosted by Tlokweng Land Board was held to educate and inform Batswana about land value chain, available opportunities of the value chain in land with the overall goal being to have a knowledgeable society.
It is Katse’s hope that young people will not see land as a quick get rich scheme but an avenue of creating longterm value for their lives.