01 Sep 2024

Kweneng Land Board is in the process of meeting with property owners who were not in agreement with the compensation offers from the landboard.

This was said by Minister of Lands and Water Affairs, Honourable Dr Kefentse Mzwinila in response to a parliamentary question recently.

Dr Mzwinila said the land board had consulted the ploughing fields owners during its sitting of January this year and valuation of the properties commenced in March for those who honoured the land board invitation. To date, he said out of a total of about 180.3 hectares of land which had been identified for acquisition, 51.02ha from 11 ploughing fields had been assessed and at valuation report stage and the final valuation report for each property would be shared with the owners.

“This is anticipated to be completed before the end of December this year. The purpose of sharing the valuation report is to allow them an opportunity to comment on the valuations and or bring forth a counter valuation report if they so desire,” he said.

He indicated that progress for the valuation of 14 ploughing fields measuring 49.3ha had been delayed by the absence of the land rights holders, whom the landboard failed to identify. “These fall within Phase I and II of the development plan. Furthermore, 11 ploughing field owners, with 79.78ha did not honour the invitation for assessment meetings,” he added.

He further said consultations had also commenced for ploughing field owners whose fields fell within Kumakwane Development Plan Phase II while a total of 69.7ha of land was under consideration.

He added that about 16.1ha of land was assessed and the land rights holders were still in discussion with the Kweneng landboard over the intention to acquire the land and an additional three land rights holders whom their land covered approximately 30.5ha had been identified for invitation to the next landboard sitting. Also, he said about nine ploughing field owners, whose land covered approximately 23.1ha, had not yet been identified.

“Following the engagement with ploughing fields owners under Thamaga sub landboard, Kweneng landboard intends to return to Thamaga by the end of December this year to amend to pending acquisition issues as it is currently amending to other more passing acquisitions like the servitudes for infrastructure development in Molepolole village, among others,” he said.

MP for Thamaga-Kumakwane, Mr Palelo Motaosane had asked the minister to update Parliament on the land acquisition process in Kumakwane. Ends