17 Feb 2013

Minister of Lands and Housing Mr Lebonaamang Mokalake says land maturity age has now been officially lowered to 18 years of age.

Mr Mokalake said this in a kgotla meeting addressed by President Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama at Moreomaoto in Boteti North district on Thursday.

He said the government has officially lowered the maturity because it was realised that people at the age of 18 years are old enough to know and understand their rights.

He explained the maturity age used to be 21 years, younger land applicants were required to have a parent or guardian’ consent before they could be allocated land.

Therefore, Mr Mokalake said they hoped that young people would apply for land and not raise age issue as a hindrance for them to access government youth initiatives.

He said because of land shortage in the country, the youth should in the meantime rent land to benefit from programmes intended for them.

However, Mr Mokalake explained that there was a special arrangement to give youth priority of land location when they intend to access government initiatives.

Mr Mokalake was responding to Moreomaoto youth Ogolotswe Jimmy who complained that they could not benefit from youth initiatives because of difficulties to acquire land.

Jimmy said every government youth initiative since they are all agriculture related, requires one to have a piece of land and this does not favor them at all.

Earlier on, Moreomaoto Village Development Committee chairperson Mr Kgomotso Matsiara complained that although their village has been electrified, government offices were not connected.

He said even though they were closer to Maun CEDA, they were forced to travel to as far as Palapye to get assistance.

In response, CEDA Palapye Manager Mr Godiretswe Khumiso confirmed that was true their Serowe and Letlhakane offices have relocated to Palapye because of demand.

However, Mr Khumiso said they always try by all means to take their services to the people and pleaded with Moreomaoto residents to contact any CEDA office they feel closer to rather than travel long distance noting that all officers offer the same services.

He said to make things easy for them, CEDA forms could be found in any Botswana Post office around the country. ENDS