‘Squatters rights’ leave bad taste in Boro
In 2018, Oreneile Shomana swapped the busy lifestyle of Maun for the more relaxed pleasures of nearby Boro, joining her mother to do small scale farming.
All was well until last October, when a fierce storm blew Shomana’s roof clean off her house.
Devastated by the destruction, the 48-year-old sought assistance from the relevant authorities to fix her shattered home.
Assistance, however, proved hard to come by.
“I approached the social welfare offices and they told me ‘ke maipaahela’ (squatter) and they cannot assist me. I went to the office of the Member of Parliament and I was told the same thing,” seethes Shomana, the memory causing her to wrinkle her nose in disgust.
After several unsuccessful attempts to get help from the government, she tells The Voice she received P1, 500 from the Okavango Kopano Mokoro Trust, which oversees villages in the NG32 area, including Boro.
“The money was not enough to cover the expenses so I had to find a way of topping up the money so that my children and I can have a proper shelter again. I thought the government is for us all, I never knew that one cannot be assisted because they are squatting as they say,” concludes the mother-of-two, who also has three grandchildren – with the whole family accommodated by Shomana’s mum while they waited for their home to be fixed .
Meanwhile, addressing the issue of squatters in a separate interview, Boro Councillor, Senonnori Kenson Kgaga revealed he has made countless unsuccessful efforts to ensure residents in the village are allocated land.
“Sometimes they say that Boro is incorporated in Maun, other times they say it is not gazetted. Each time I ask, I get a different response. But when it is time for elections they go to this ungazetted place, pitch their tents and campaign in the area which is not recognized by the same government!” said the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) member.
In an effort to prove ‘these people are in need’, Kgaga says he brought a team of govt officials, including the Council Chairman and District Commissioner, so they can see the situation for themselves.
According to Kgaga, although the majority of residents have not yet been formally allocated land, a privileged few have received plots.
“I have been reliably informed that there are about 48 people who have been allocated residential plots in Boro. I have asked the Landboard to tell us the criteria that they have used to allocate such plots but all they can say is that it is a directive from their superiors,” disclosed the frustrated politician, adding he will not rest until he gets results.
