Africa-Press – Botswana. Kasane residents earmarked for relocation to pave way for the Kasane-Kazungula Redevelopment Project have proposed to remain shareholders of their land when government apportions it for investors.
Raising their views during a Kgotla meeting addressed by the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi yesterday in Kasane, residents of Kgaphamadi, Botshabelo and Newtown held the view that as the custodians of the prime land they deserved a stake on the facelift project rather than being moved to a different location.
A Kgaphamadi resident, Mr Joseph Nkwane indicated that it was imperative for Batswana to continue holding rights to their land even after they were moved elsewhere.
He proposed that government should adopt a new relocation strategy whereby residents were relocated to a new residential place, but still held some shares to their old piece of land in order for them to be part of a bigger investment.
He said their homes in Kgaphamadi were sitting on prime land that was earmarked to transform the face of Kasane hence noted that it was time Batswana were roped in as part of a big investment.
Another Kgaphamadi resident, Mr Julius Samunzala quizzed on the criteria that would be used to compensate them for their properties adding that their homes were assessed in 2015 for the relocation exercise.
He said plots in Kgaphamadi were not the same size as the current plots under the Tribal Land Act and State Land Act hence concurred that there was need for Batswana to be offered a lucrative deal in the Re-development Project and remain part of the shareholders.
Chobe District Council Chairperson, Mr Johane Chenjekwa noted that the same people occupying Kgaphamadi, Botshabelo and Newtown were relocated from the Chobe National Park to Palamaokue then relocated again to the current occupancy to pave way for developments.
He said these families had made great sacrifices for Botswana over the years hence he said government should compensate them handsomely by ensuring they had a stake in the Redevelopment Project.
Mr Chenjekwa said when the Redevelopment Project was conceived in 2008, the residents were requested to halt any developments in their homes to await assessments and compensation of which the moratorium was only lifted in 2016 for them to resume developments.
He said currently the Chobe riverfront was enjoyed mostly by non-citizens who owned mostly of the hotels in the prime area hence he noted it was time Batswana have a stake in a prime area by giving them opportunities such as shareholding.
The MP for the Chobe constituency, Mr Simasiku Mapulanga, supported residents in that Chobe residents deserved to benefit from the Redevelopment Project.
He said the sites that were earmarked for investors should have provisions that allowed the custodian of the Chobe land to have shares in the new upcoming businesses.
Mr Mapulanga proposed that instead of government paying residents it should instead build them residential houses in Nyungwe area then remain shareholders of their land in the Kasane prime area.
Minister Mmolotsi responded that a new assessment of properties would be carried out for Kgaphamadi, Botshabelo and Newtown in compliance with the current market value.
He stated that as the new government, they would review all the proposals from residents to see how best the relocation exercise would be carried out so that Batswana remained empowered.
Mr Mmolotsi appealed to residents to hold on to their properties and not sell while awaiting government consensus, which he said could take a while due to the current financial status of Botswana.
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