18 Jul 2018

Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) is in the process of reviewing its rentals in relation to the open market and cost of maintenance.

Addressing the media in Gaborone recently, the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development Mr Vincent Seretse said once the exercise had been concluded all the stakeholders would be advised accordingly. 

“This will be after I have tabled the proposal to the cabinet which will give advice on the matter,” he said adding that the corporation had not reviewed its rentals since 2004.

He said the corporation had a rental stock of about 10 000 housing units across the country comprising low, middle and high-income houses in the form of flats, townhouses and stand alone units.

 “Currently the corporation is involved in numerous projects to alleviate the housing needs of the nation. 

In addition to undertaking external third party housing projects for government departments on request, they also continue to undertake internal projects to build more for Batswana in all areas across the country,” he said.

Minister Seretse said the corporation recently completed 72 houses in Jwaneng which were ready for sale to any willing Motswana or citizen-owned companies.

BHC is also engaged in the construction of houses in Gaborone including 138 densification flats in Phase Four, 107 densification units at Village and Extension 11.

Other construction projects are underway Tati Siding, 100 houses,  50 in Tutume, 99 in Palapye and 18 in Tonota.

Talking about his ministry’s mandate, he said there were three strategic areas in which it intended to facilitate government to deliver services to Batswana. 

This, he said, included playing a central role in creating a conducive environment to promote the economic growth to make Botswana competitive and empowering citizens through home ownership programmes and other initiatives geared towards citizen economic empowerment.  

He said one strategic area was the provision of accommodation for central government through design, construction and maintenance of buildings or facilities from where ministries and departments conducted their day to day service delivery.

Minister Seretse said another area was the provision of policy direction as well as architects and custodians of regulatory instruments for the construction sector in order to promote the growth and ethical conduct by construction practitioners.

According to the minister, the last strategic area was the formulation and facilitation of the implementation of the National Policy on Housing in order to enable the provision of decent and affordable housing for all Batswana. ENDS