12 Nov 2015

There are 385 identified open spaces  in Gaborone that belong to the Gaborone City Council, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso has said.

Responding to a question in Parliament from Gaborone North MP, Mr Haskins Nkaigwa, Ms Tshireletso said open spaces were to be developed for various recreational uses, including ancillary uses as might be deemed appropriate in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act.

However, she said all designated open spaces within the city were under the management of Gaborone City Council, including those that belonged to the state and were yet to be allocated.

Of these 385 open spaces, she said Gaborone City Council had title deeds for 291 open spaces. 

The delay in the issuance of title deeds, Ms Tshireletso said, was dependent on the progress which involved a number of government departments, including the Deeds Registry and the Department of Lands and Housing. 

“However, as council has received title deeds for 291 out of 385 open spaces, it is my belief that reasonable progress has been made in the issuance of the title deeds for open spaces in Gaborone,” she added.

Thirty-two open spaces, Ms Tshireletso said, had been set aside for development, adding that a few of the ward development committees which had already been given open spaces for development, such as Phase II (Bowasetso), Phase I and Block 6, were already at advanced stages of establishing partnerships with potential sponsors. 

Mr Nkaigwa wanted to know how many open spaces in Gaborone belonged to the Gaborone City Council, how many of the open spaces had title deeds, what was delaying the issuance of title deeds for such open spaces and when such open spaces would be leased to ward development committees for development.  Ends