Francistown — The Francistown City Council (FCC) public relations officer, Priscilla Gulubane, said the council does not have the power to evict the squatters who remained when people were relocated to Gerald Estates 10 years ago.

She declared in an interview that the alleged piece of land where the people are squatting belongs to Tati Company - a Francistown-based property development company.

Gulubane added that as the FCC they suspect that the reason why some people were still squatting on the piece of land at Somerset East is that during the time of allocation of plots, the council was providing one plot per homestead and "you would find that there were more than two people staying in one homestead since others had rented."

She also said that some of the tenants that the council authorities found during the time of allocation of plots just claimed the plots on behalf of their landlords and got the plots because some of the landlords were absent.

Gulubane said that last year they wrote letters to Tati Company enquiring when they were evicting the squatters but they have not received any response from them. When contacted for comment, the general manager of Tati Company, Ogaisitse Khama, said he was not aware that any people were are still occupying their land, but added that he will give himself time to visit the land to see if that was true.He said they will follow the right channels when dealing with the matter. He said everyone should know that sitting on someone's land is an offence that one can be charged for.

"We will follow the right channel because we take it that everyone knows that it is an offence to squat on someone's land. It is trespassing, but we will report the matter to the relevant people and let the law take its course." These squatters are occupying land which is situated a few metres from the Tati River, which can pose a danger during the rainy season. There are no toilets and this can pose a health hazard to people and the environment generally. Most of the homesteads consist of more than five people per homestead. There are no standpipes and Monitor has learnt that the squatters survive by buying water from their neighbours.

Monitor recently spoke to a few squatters whose concern was mainly that they be given new plots or else they will squat on the land forever.

Although there is no impending relocation of the squatters, the squatters were steadfast that they will not go anywhere. One of the squatters, Mmaphefo Mounde hoped that having stayed at Somerset East will help her acquire a new plot but all in vain.