12 Dec 2023

Deceased persons should be buried at designated cemeteries identified in consultation with tribal authority, village development committee or zoned by the village development plan among others. Letlhakane Sub-land board secretary, Ms Lorato Makgatlhe, said when responding to questions asked by councillors during Boteti District Sub-council session held in Letlhakane on Wednesday.

Ms Makgatlhe stated that Ngwato Land Board was mandated with allocating land for various designated uses, including that of community use and cemeteries. excluding cattle posts and communal grazing areas. Graveyard areas, she said, should also be gazetted as per the Public Health Act.

Ms Makgatlhe explained that the Land Act provided allocation of land to citizens of Botswana and non-citizens. She added that allocation was done as per the waiting list kept by the land board office. The board does not segregate anybody who has applied for land, she said. Procedurally, Letlhakane Sub-Land Board was not mandated with the task to either legalise or generate amnesty for illegal land occupants, but the President of Botswana.

Ms Makgatlhe said the last dispensation made to allocate people who were moved from cattleposts to pave way for cattle ranches was that which established Buuhe Ward in Letlhakane where allottees were allocated through affirmative action. She said illegal occupants occupying Buuhe area were part of those that had been presented before Ngwato Land Board for eviction and that the sub-land board was awaiting conclusion of the matter by Ngwato Land Board.

Ms Makgatlhe noted that allocation of all eligible applicants had been done accordingly at Buuhe, citing that land board allocated residential land according to the waiting list as kept in the office, where plots were available after proper planning and survey.

Government has decided to outsource survey of all pending layouts due to shortage of resources by the land boards Ms Mokgatlhe said and added that survey had been done and records submitted to Department of Surveys and Mapping for approval. T

he area she said had 1 010 plots. The Deputy District Commissioner, Mr Ewetse, explained that burials should be conducted in gazetted areas, noting that the leadership should assume the responsibility of ensuring that burials were done in permissible areas.

Nominated Councillor, Otsile Mmatlakgomo, was of the view that land board should secure a graveyard plot for Basarwa residing in cattleposts. He argued that Basarwa residing at Setoto, Makolwane and Chebajenaa cattleposts occupied the areas as their places of residence for many years but did not have resources to transport bodies of their deceased family members to cemeteries in villages. Councillor Ketshwereng Galeragwe of Letlhakane East proposed that Basarwa should be allowed to conduct burials at any place of preference.

He suggested that Basarwa staying at Sekwe Ward in Letlhakane were denied opportunity to own land. Cllr Galeragwe said that there was segregation in plot allocation because Batswana were allocated plots while Basarwa were left out. Councillor Aaron Baitsemang of Letlhakane South requested an update on residential plot allocations for illegal occupants moved from cattleposts, suggesting that a special dispensation should have been made to allocate the plots.

Councillor Ntebogang Kgosi of Letlhakane North complained that the ward had a lot of illegal settlers, and requested updates as Letlhakane and Ngwato land boards assessed the situation in Buuhe. He requested to be briefed on the allocation dates of the elderly in Buuhe and also called for an update on phase three plot allocations. ENDS