27 Nov 2018

Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila says the total number of pending land applications is 1 294 362.

The minister said there was no crisis regarding land allocation, adding that out of the pending applications, only 505 600 applicants did not have plots or had not applied in other sub land boards.

He explained that the delay in applications for land allocation and age analysis per sub land board was caused by varied and many predominant factors which included high cost of land servicing, long process in land acquisition for expansion of settlements or shortage of physical planners and funds at district councils to prepare and design layout.

Mr Mzwinila said it was a requirement that a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) be undertaken prior to demarcation of land, and that the land board did not have enough funds to pay for the assessment.

He noted that other factors included reluctance by ploughing field owners to relinquish their fields to the land board for village expansion, citing low compensation rates.

He said his ministry came up with several measures as a matter of urgency to address the situation which included development of PPP strategy in land servicing, outsourcing of preparation of detailed layout, commencement of revised Tribal Land Act which would compensate tribal land at market value and collaboration with stakeholders such as district councils to expedite preparation of layouts.

MP for Nkange, Mr Edwin Batshu had asked the minister to state the number of pending applications for land allocation throughout the country per sub land board, and the age analysis for such applications.

Mr Batshu also wanted the minister to state the causes of the delay in land allocation, to confirm if there was a crises and the measures he would introduce as a matter of urgency to address the situation. ENDS