15 Oct 2015

Members of land boards have been encouraged to address their major setbacks and minor issues so that all fall in place

Addressing the 17^th biennial conference for Botswana Association of Tribal Land Authorities (BATLA), the president of the association, Mr Thuso Bogatsu said land resources were changing and challenging and that members have to come with better ways in which to work together for the benefit of generations to come.

Mr Bogatsu said the membership of BATLA should be creative, strategic and adaptive to contemporary organisational interventions that could make BATLA and land board members relevant and to understand their intrinsic purpose.

He said they have to introspect their role and purpose  as well as to set out a road map to revitalise themselves which would culminate with rebranding.

Mr Bogatsu also challenged members of land boards to boost their level of accountability to the public by ensuring that there was professionalism and prudent management of the land they hold in custody of communities.

On other issue, Mr Bogatsu said it was fascinating that the BATLA conference was held on the eve of Botswana’s jubilee celebrations in 2016. He said the celebrations would prepare the ministry to review their progress in the light of national milestones and vision pillars.

He said one achievement that stakeholders in land management should celebrate was the approval of the land policy by cabinet in July 2015 that BATLA contributed to its formulation.

He noted that the policy was a major precursor to key strategic changes in land management, adding that land authorities were reviewing and aligning their individual policies with the land policy, adding that a major legal review in light of that achievement would follow.

He said land management has a deep and often decisive impact on the ability of individuals and communities to thrive and prosper. He also added that land and access to land were issues that were closely intertwined with social and political stability, economic development, security and identity.

Mr Bogatsu said it was therefore imperative that land boards manage the scarce land resources judiciously to promote sustainable development droughts due to climate change, saying the current El Nino, does not just affect agriculture but impacts even severely on land management.He said   President Khama has recently pointed out that accelerated land servicing is part of plan to increase industrialization and investments into the economy in order to create employment.

He said  it implies that they should actively find ways to facilitate investors to access land to set Botswana to an Investment and Trade Centre.

He nevertheless said there were many factors that make land management for governments very difficult.

He said such as continued high levels of population growth, rapid urbanization, accelerated economic development, a seemingly changing climate, the expansion of agricultural activity and widening mineral exploitation remains a fact.

He nevertheless said they continue to manage these challenges with their international partners, also saying Botswana has ratified international conventions to prove her commitment.

“The most relevant ones include the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Conventions on Wetlands” he stated

He also said in the Ease of Doing Business Report of 2015, it shows that Botswana has dropped by 8 places ranking 74 whereas in 2014 ranking 68, adding that one index is directly linked  to land management is registering property.

He requested that members should continue to contribute to increase Botswana standings. Ends