Africa-Press – Botswana. Following Cabinet directive to create a structured plan for the use of 45,000-hectare land bought by government from Tati Company, soliciting of ideas from North East District residents on possible land use continues.
Commenting during Tati Land Structure Plan Community Consultation kgotla meeting in Masukwane on Monday, one of the residents, Mr Thabang Moipolai requested that part of the acquired farms be turned into Special Economic Zones for agriculture to plant nuts on a large scale. He said while not pushing aside other economic projects that could be done in those farms, quick employment generation projects should explored.
Mr Moipolai further said resurrection of mining in the district that stopped due to confrontation with farm owners was a welcome venture that would create employment opportunities for the youth. He also requested government to take actions against all squatters in the acquired land.
Another resident, Mr Nonoka Siku requested Tati Land Board to prioritise allocating youth both residential and farming land as a way to attract them back from the cities, while Mr Thundi Moesi said agriculture is a mainstay of the economy. Kgosi Kumbulani William of Gulubane ward requested that a portion of land be allocated to Tati Land Board where a piece of land could be developed into a township industrial plots to process food products and manufacture goods. Councillor for Mapoka/Nlaphkwane/Masukwane, Mr Nabulani Lenyatso said the land was not tribal land but state land where government still held control over its use.
“If you have land, will not run short of food,” he said, advising for a need to venture into partnerships with people and companies with finances muscles to bring business that could create employment.
He said there was a need for an agricultural cluster centre for the village. In his address, North East District Principal Physical Planner Mr Tebogo Moreetsi said Tati Land Structure Plan (TLSP) was a strategic spatial framework that guided how the land around Francistown, North East, Tati Siding, Tonota, Tati Siding, Shashe Mooke, Matshelagabedi, Jackalas and others would be used and developed in the future. He said without a clear plan, the acquired land could face unregulated settlement and informal sprawl, conflicts over land ownership and land use, among others.
Mr Moreetsi said structure plan was meant to give guidance where different land uses should be located, promote orderly, sustainable growth, coordinate delivery of roads, water, electricity, waste management and ensure fair access to land and opportunities for all. He said TLSP zoned the land based on the best use of each area such as High Impact Agriculture, High Impact Industrial, Tourism District, Mineral Beneficiation Zones, Urban Development Zone and others.
“These zones are carefully chosen to maximise the potential of the land while protecting the interest of the community and the environment,” he said.
The other aim of the TLSP, he said was to cater for increasing demand for land, jobs and services, adding that there was need to curb youth unemployment and out-migration which was on the rise. Mr Moreetsi said they wanted to keep young people in the district to support them as prioritised by Botswana Economic Transformation Programme and the National Strategic Plan.
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