02 Oct 2024

After prolonged consultations and negotiations that spanned several years, residents of Ledumadumane, whose parents’ ploughing fields were acquired by government to pave way for developments in the Greater Gaborone area will finally be allocated residential plots.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Ledumadumane recently, Kweneng Land Board Chairperson, Mr Kgang Kgang, brought the long-awaited announcement to the residents.

He informed them that, following extensive consultations with government and the Gaborone Expansion Task Force, the land board would be allocating 1 700 residential plots to the ‘Mpeele Bana’ beneficiaries, a term used describe individuals whose parents’ ploughing fields were acquired by government in the Greater Gaborone area.

He commended the significant role played by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, the Minister of Lands and Housing, Dr Kefentse Mzwinila, and the former MP for Mogoditshane, Mr Tumiso Rakgare, in reaching an agreement on the allocation of residential plots to the beneficiaries of the Ledumadumane ‘Mpeele Bana’ special dispensation.

Mr Kgang emphasised that the beneficiaries should bear in mind that the special dispensation was a request to the government and not an entitlement. He urged the beneficiaries to approach the task force with any queries or concerns, rather than approaching the land board directly.

Mr Kgang provided a detailed account of the history surrounding the ‘Mpeele Bana’ issue, tracing its origins back to 1952 when a feud emerged among the Bahurutshe led by Kgosi Letlole Thobega, and the senior tribesmen known as Boo Rra Modisane from Mmankgodi.

He said Kgosi Kgari II, seeing the need for intervention, arranged for the relocation of Goo Modisane ward to Ledumadumane.

Mr Kgang explained that after government repossessed the said ploughing fields and compensated the owners, the owners of the fields, put a special request to include their children in the compensation plan, giving rise to the term ‘Mpeele Bana’ which refers to ‘the children of the dispossessed’.

 Following that special request, government purchased 249 ha and a task force was then formed to deal with the issue and serve as a mediator between government, the land board, and the affected families, hence the allocation of 1 700 plots.

He expressed gratitude for their dedication and commitment to finding a resolution to this complex issue, which had been a long-standing matter of concern to the affected community.

About other pressing issues related to land administration in the area, Mr Kgang expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the Mogoditshane sub-Land Board, which had reduced a waiting list from 140 000 to 48 000 applications. He also addressed the controversial matter of compensation-in-kind, which had resulted in a court ruling against the model.

The court advised the Kweneng Land Board to engage in consultations with the affected people on a case-by-case basis to reach an agreement.

Mr Kgang said more than 200 plots had been recovered from the compensation-in-kind model, with the expectation of recovering up to 800 more in the near future.

Mr Mothusi Molefi, the chairperson of the Kgatleng Land Board, supported the Kweneng Land Board on the matter. He shared a similar experience with the Oodi sub-Land Board in the Kgatleng District.

He urged the affected people to approach the issue with patience and understanding, recognising the sensitive nature of land matters.

The news of the forthcoming allocation of residential plots was met with excitement among the Ledumadumane residents. Their relief and gratitude were conveyed through the traditional saying, “a mafoko a nelwe ke pula,” which translates to an expression of great joy and jubilation.

The residents praised Mr Kgang for bringing such uplifting news as they saw the announcement as a positive step towards addressing the longstanding issue of compensation for their ancestral land. Ends