- Farmer alleges Chairman used his powers to unlawfully occupy the land in Kgabaganyane
- Gabokakangwe hits back, says complainant is bitter
- Says complainant wants to taint his name ahead of 2024 elections
- Board rejected Gabokakanngwe’s application for the same land
Sehithwa Sub Land Board Chairman, Frisco Gabokakangwe has refuted allegations that he has unlawfully occupied a certain piece of land at Kgabaganyane cattle post near Kareng village, an area which falls under his jurisdiction.
Following the board’s dismissed of his application to be allocated the piece of land, Gabokakangwe is said to have gone on to unlawfully settle at the same area in order to utilise a nearby borehole owned by the Khoemacau mine.
A concerned farmer in the area, Keapoletswe Keapoletswe, alleges that Gabokakangwe in January this year moved his cattle to the area, where he also ploughed crops. This he reportedly did, pending a hearing of his appeal to Tawana Land Board following the rejection by the subordinate board. The appeal is scheduled for this month.
Gabokakangwe has rubbished the allegation, saying Keapoletswe is just being a bitter man who is jealous of his progression in life as he never thought that would happen. He added that the complainant also want to taint his good image for political gains as the two are contemplating on contesting for Kareng ward in the next 2024 general elections.
In an interview, Keapoletswe explained that the area where Gabokakangwe has occupied belong a syndicate comprising his younger brother, late sister and himself.
He accused Gabokakangwe for having convinced his (Keapoletswe) younger brother into writing a letter that supported his application to use the borehole under the pretext that it will be for temporary basis while he knew that he wanted to also use it to make his land request to the board.
Keapoletswe claims even though his brother has since backtracked his decision, they have however also realised that Gabokakangwe has manipulated their niece to support his land application even though he (the niece) was initially on their side. Keapoletswe has since made an application before the board objecting Gabokakangwe’s application.
The complainant is of the view that Gabokakangwe used his powers as land board chairman to illegally allocate himself the land in the area after being rejected by the board and went on to appeal the case.
He is not pleased that the board has refused to evict him from the area on the basis that he has appealed the case.
“It is wrong for him as a leader to be involved in such illegal land practices,” Keapoletswe condemned.
He further claimed that Gabokakangwe has since went on to defame him on social media posting badly about him. “I want people commenting on his posts about me to know the real story,” he said.
Gabokakangwe has however dismissed the allegations, explaining that the cattle which Keapoletswe refers to are not his but belong to his associates who together with him have applied for temporary use of the mentioned land.
According to him, the five of them made a request to the mine to use the borehole and after approval they were advised to test if there is water and is good for use. He explained that his other five associates who are staying at the area are only there for to take care of the solar panel used to equip the borehole.
“I don’t stay there even my cattle are not there it’s only that I am the one representing the group. The other five decided to stay there just to look after the solar panels while I process the issue of land board. They have only taken with them ‘kgomo tsa magangwa’ so there is no one who has allocated himself land,” Gabokakangwe claimed, adding that if the board does not allocate them the land, they will relocate.
He said they have only requested to stay there and use the borehole on temporary basis while they await to relocate.
Gabokakangwe further revealed that his father has a pending case before the board of a farm near Kuke Veterinary Gate and once the case is finalised he will be relocating there.
