15 Apr 2013

Parliament has rejected the motion calling for government to consider reserving a quota for locals of any land administrative area when allocating advertised residential plots.

Presenting the motion recently, South East South MP, Mr Odirile Motlhale argued that residents in some areas had waited for long to be allocated residential plots.

Mr Motlhale said it was often disturbing because in the course of that waiting, people from other areas would continue to be allocated plots, something he argued was likely to breed tribalism. Thus, he said it was crucial that some plots be reserved for locals when land was being allocated for residential purposes in their administrative areas.

Debating the motion, MP Abram Kesupile of Kanye South said there was need to look at the land issue holistically instead of addressing the matter on a piece-meal basis.

Mr Kesupile, however, noted that it was important that a land audit be conducted first before plot reservations were considered.

He also urged government to instead consider stopping allocating land to foreigners. MP for Gaborone West South, Mr Botsalo Ntuane also opposed the motion, saying it raised a lot of challenges. Mr Ntuane said land was a natural resource, and setting a quota for its allocation would result in people in areas endowed with other natural resources wanting a quota to be set for the use of such resources.

He also noted that a land audit was a necessary first step and that it was important that the issue of natural resource distribution be addressed holistically.

MP Daniel Kwelagobe of Molepolole South said the issue of land was a sensitive and an emotive matter that ought to be discussed in a civil manner. However, he said though it was crucial to consider some form of quota on residential plot allocations, it was equally important to carry out a consultative exercise first to hear and incorporate public views.

MP for Kweneng South East, Mr Mmoloki Raletobana observed that corruption was rife in land boards, something he said often resulted in a lot of disgruntlement from the public. MP Raletobana emphasised the need for an amendment of the laws to provide for a person to be allocated only one plot.

He said some of the people on land boards waiting lists already had plots elsewhere in the country.

MP Raletobana noted that reserving plots for locals of administrative areas would not fuel tribalism as alluded to by some MPs.

He argued that if the current set up where land boards were named after the tribal territories in which they operated did not breed tribalism, there was no way plot reservations would promote such.

MP Gilson Saleshando of Selebi Phikwe West said since Parliament had rejected the land audit motion, it was only right that the motion at hand be adopted to address the existing land issues. He said there was nothing tribalist about plot reservations. ENDS