07 Jul 2013

Ministry of Lands and Housing has handed over 15 vehicles to Land Boards across the country to augment their resources in preparation for the land registration national rollout beginning July 2013.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony of the vehicles in Ramotswa on July 2, Land Administration Procedures, Capacity and Systems (LAPCAS) Transition manager, Mr Makgesi Marata said in addition to these vehicles, the ministry had also employed on temporary basis 15 teams for a period of two years renewable upon deliverables.

The teams, as per the release were made up of a surveyor as the team leader, land registration or adjudication officer, records officer and systems analyst.

“Even though there are land boards across the country, some areas are not as populas as the others hence the distribution of teams. Four teams have been sent to Ngwato Land Board, three to Tawana Land Board, three to Kweneng, two to Ngwaketse, one to Kgatleng, Malete and Kgalagadi Land Boards, respectively,” said Mr Marata.

The purpose of the LAPCAS project is to systematically register all plots in the tribal land to have information on who owns what, where and for what. Through this project, the ministry estimates to have registered one million plots in tribal land by 2016.

At the end of the exercise, new certificates will be issued and old ones phased out. The new certificates would have unique plot numbers and could be used to borrow money from the purposes.

This exercise is also meant to help plot owners have a secure land title as ownership is guaranteed and save on survey costs.

To register, the following must be produced; certificate of land grant, lease or title deed, letter from a Kgosi as proof of old allocation, or any document that proves ownership of the said plot and a valid identity card or a passport for non-citizens.ENDS