08 Aug 2024

Revised National Settlement Policy of 2004 seeks to promote balanced provision of services to various types of settlements in rural and urban areas.

This was said Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Honourable Mabuse Pule in response to a question in Parliament on Wednesday.

Mr Pule said the provision for recognition and declaration of new settlements has been provided for under the revised policy, which also sought to regulate and manage the proliferation of new settlements especially with a population of 500 people or less.

He added that the procedure for recognition of new settlements required assessment of the area and people’s socio-economic factors, population dynamics, potential for spatial growth and prospects for economic growth.

Mr Pule indicated that Sherwood-Martin’s Drift currently fell within the Tuli Block Freehold Agricultural Zone, adding the population of the area as per the Population and Housing Census of 2022 currently stood at 512 people.

“It is worth noting that the population for Sherwood Martin Drift fluctuates with activities taking place around the privately operated farms as in some instances there are temporary labour seasonally and these farm workers are mostly from neighbouring villages,” he said.

In addition, he highlighted that individuals who resided in the area currently got services from Ngwapa, Lerala and Palapye villages which was 24 kilometres, 30km and 116km respectively.

Furthermore, he said Palapye district provided services such as social, education, health (monthly mobile services), national registration, labour on outreach basis.

“In terms of education facilities, workers access these services from Lerala which has both primary and secondary school whereas the senior secondary school education facilities are accessed from Moeng College which is a boarding school,” he added.

Regarding public officers based at the border post, he said mainly resided in Lerala where they accessed services.

“It is important to note that the community in this area comprise  workers who are either employed at the port of entry or in the farms. At the same time, the developments around Sherwood exist in the privately owned farms and as such there is limited potential for settlement growth,” he said.

He said there were currently no plans in place to recognise Sherwood/Martin’s Drift (Sherwood Farms) as a settlement since the area was situated on privately freehold land and owners have exclusive rights to their ranches.

He thus said it was on such basis that Sherwood Martin’s Drift inhabitants would continue to access services such as social, education health and spiritual needs in neighbouring villages which were reasonably accessible.

MP for Sefhare/Ramokgonami, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang had asked the minister to update Parliament on the status of Sherwood/Martin’s Drift in relation to the Revised National Settlement

Policy and state whether he would consider upgrading it into a gazetted settlement to provide the residents’ social, education health and spiritual needs. Ends