Khama fights farmers for uranium wells

Staff Writer | Monday March 25, 2013 00:00

 

The move has alarmed farmers in the area who expected to cash in when A-Cap Resources starts mining uranium in the area in two years time.

The farmers fear that the Khamas who already have Anthony, the President's brother on the Board of the mining company, are positioning themselves to benefit from their father's land at their expense.However, yesterday deputy permanent secretary in the Office of the President and former private secretary and senior private secretary to the President, Colonel Duke Masilo explained that he headed an investigation into the ownership of wells once owned by the President, but said his investigation which was also conducted in conjunction with the Ngwato Land Board was not confined to one area but was broad. Masilo explained that the investigation covered boreholes in Tswapong, some in Otse (bordering Kweneng and Gammangwato), some in the Paje area and some in Folly, which include the uranium area.

Masilo says after Kgotla meetings were addressed, and owners of the wells identified, he compiled a report for the President showing that almost all the wells were rightfully sold to their current owners. 'We only sought to ascertain how many were given away, sold, or transferred illegally. Three or four were given away, almost all of them were sold accordingly as part of the winding up process of the late Sir Seretse Khama's estates,' added Masilo.

Information passed to The Monitor reveals that the contested area, is currently meraka made up of boreholes sold to the farmers in the area during the late 1980's by President Khama's brother Tshekedi (now Minister of Wildlife, Environment and Tourism), on behalf of Lady Ruth Khama.Some of the boreholes are at Mosokobale, Morotobolo, Ramaphole, Mogolori and Gojane cattleposts, according to information gathered by The Monitor.

The Monitor is informed that since September last year, three Ngwato Land Boards, namely the Ngwato Main Land Board in Serowe, Paje Sub-Land Board and Mmadinare Sub-Land board, have been writing to owners of wells/boreholes in the Serule area, demanding that they show proof of rightful ownership of the boreholes once owned by Sir Seretse Khama.

A concerned farmer says he was phoned on several occasions by the Paje and Mmadinare Sub-Land Boards instructing him to travel to Paje to meet with the Presidents' representative, Masilo about his borehole.Another source tells The Monitor that officials from Serowe (Ngwato Land Board) drove to Tonota to quiz them about the Khama borehole.

The three land boards in Gammangwato refused to comment on the matter, referring The Monitor to chief spokesperson Chandapiwa Baputaki, who also shied away from the matter. Her response to The Monitor questionnaire is: 'Ngwato Land Board treats applications by individuals and companies as matters between the land board and the concerned people. As such the land board cannot divulge information relating to their clients save only when directed to do so to facilitate the processes of courts of law.'

Despite their refusal, The Monitor can further reveal that letters to the concerned farmers mentioned that Ian Khama as the President of Botswana had directed that the farmers should present themselves with proof of purchase or risk losing the boreholes.The letters further instructed the targeted farmers to go meet the President's representative, Masilo, at Paje, Serowe, and Mmadinare on the matter.Masilo is the deputy Permanent Secretary in the office of the President and is widely regarded as one of President Khama's blue-eyed boys.