15 Jul 2014

The Member of Parliament for Gaborone Central, Mr Dumelang Saleshando has called on government to ensure that Batswana have easier access to finance by removing barriers that hinder them from acquiring funds when they want to buy property.

Contributing to the Sectional Titles (Amendment) Bill that was put before Parliament for debate on July 14, Mr Saleshando said failure to attend to such barriers would mean the proposed amendment was just a deceit as only a few Batswana will benefit from it.

He said this will then lead to foreigners being the main beneficiaries of the law as most of them do not depend on financiers to get money for property acquisition.

Mr Saleshando therefore called on government to come up with easy schemes that can allow Batswana to buy residential property, such as the defunct tenant purchase scheme which was done by the Botswana Housing Corporation, as he said it was affordable to many.

He said it is disheartening that it is still easier to buy a car rather than a house, a concern which he said was long raised by the former president, Mr Festus Mogae, and that it is the duty of legislators as representatives of the people to ensure that this anomaly is corrected.

For his part, the MP for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi said the amendment is welcome as home ownership has been a challenge, especially for first time owners such as those who newly graduated from tertiary institutions.

He however, cautioned that the law must also guard against Batswana who might sell their property to foreigners as soon as they have acquired it, saying there should be a stipulated period that has to elapse before one can be allowed to sell.

The MP for Mahalapye West, Mr Bernard Bolele however, raised as concern that the P2 000 fine stipulated if a developer violates the law is too meagre as the fine can easily be paid. He also advised that the amendment should also extend to include more than just residential property.

Most legislators who rose to support the Amendment Bill however, cautioned that great care has to be taken to ensure that citizens are not used as frontmen by foreigners.

Presenting the amendment Bill, the Minister of Lands and Housing, Mr Lebonaamang Mokalake said the amendment seeks to make it mandatory for any developer to give citizen tenants first priority to acquire a unit of an existing building, a unit that is newly erected or the one in the process of being erected.

The amendment also states that where a unit has been occupied by a non-citizen, a citizen should be given the first priority, and that where a citizen has declined to buy the unit, the minister has to be informed. ENDS