05 Jul 2015

The debate on the proposed Botswana National Land Policy is expected to continue during the 3rd Meeting of the 1st Session of the 11th Parliament which resumes on Monday, July 6, 2015 until August 7, 2015.

This proposed Land policy was initially tabled before parliament for discussion, during the 3rd Meeting of the 4th Session of the 10th Parliament in 2013 by the Ministry of Lands and Housing.

Once again, during the last sitting of Parliament, MPs engaged in yet another rigorous debate concerning this proposed Land policy after it was presented by the Minister of Lands and Housing, Mr Prince Maele. However, due to time constraints, the policy was not conclusively debated and was deferred to be dealt with during this winter session of Parliament. 

Land issues are of growing importance in Botswana as pressure on the land and related resources is ever increasing. 

Therefore, the primary goal of this Land policy is to protect and promote land rights of all landholders and promote sustainable human settlements and improve land allocation through establishing an up to date land information management system.

Currently, a lot of challenges are facing the country’s land management, such as shortage of land for settlement expansion, numerous transfers and ultimate sale of land and speculation, where people get allocated land but illegally transfer it to buyers before it is developed. 

Another challenge is illegal occupation of land commonly known as “squatting” and failure to comply with development covenants by those allocated, both in terms of paying for land and also developing it within stipulated time. 

In some cases, some plots are under developed resulting in only a fraction of allocated land being put to productive use and competition for land which has led to conflicts especially between wildlife and human activities. 

The Land policy focuses on four key issues, that is, land tenure, access to land and protection of land rights, land management and administration and institutional and legal framework. 

The current land tenure system will be maintained and saved for registration of customary land grants to enhance the value of tribal land grants. 

The policy also proposes, that every motswana be eligible for one plot in the country, that land be repossessed where there is evidence of mismanagement, for the establishment of land authorities to transform and professionalise land boards and other land administration authorities and also advocates that measures be put in place to access housing without necessarily owning a plot. ENDS