02 May 2019

Rolong Land Board secretary, Mr Sedi Bose says they are facing a challenge of many applications for land in their area.

Mr Bose stated  during a stakeholder meeting  in Goodhope recently that the Rolong Land Board waiting list had increased to around 18 000 applications for land.

He outlined when giving the land board’s performance report, that the swelling waiting list was in spite of the fact that they had allocated more than 26 000 residential and business plots over the years, which was approximately the same as the total population from the area outlined by the national census.

“The 2011 national census indicated that the population of people under the Rolong Land Board area was just above 26 000. We have allocated over 26 000 residential and business plots over the years. When we put in ploughing fields the number increases to over 35,000 plots,” he said. The secretary therefore challenged all stakeholders in land management to collaborate in finding solutions to the increasing demand for land in the area.

He said Rolong Land Board managed to surpass their 300 target for plot allocations which they had set for themselves in the 2018/19 financial year. “

We exceeded that target a little bit by allocating 314 plots. This year (2019/20) we want to allocate 500 plots,” Mr Bose said. He told the meeting that the biggest challenge facing land boards in relation to plot allocation was that an increasing number of people in Botswana want to be allocated serviced plots. He explained that it was very expensive to service land. “Costs for one fully serviced plot in Botswana amount to P120 000,” he said.

Mr Bose further said it was important for land boards to relax the change of land use processes in order to help the country to achieve its economic development objectives of transitioning from middle to high income economy.

“When a person wants to convert their fields to do something more economic, our land management policies sometimes are too restrictive and we end up rejecting those people. We need to introduce some flexibility when it comes to such issues,” he said.

He pointed out that land was an important resource in the achievement of the nation’s socio-economic development objectives.

The chairperson of Rolong Land Board, Mr Ogone Molema explained that the purpose of the meeting was to share with stakeholders, the successes and challenges facing the land board, and also ask for collaboration with other stakeholders in land management.

Meanwhile, in their effort to improve service delivery the land board launched a mobile office on  to take services closer to clients outside Goodhope. The mobile office was launched officially by Goodhope/ Mabule sub-district council chairperson, Ms Mmaobene Molefhe, who pointed that the facility was testimony that Rolong Land Board put their customers first.

Ms Molefhe added that the mobile office would make it easier for the land board to take services to the people in 30 villages under its jurisdiction since there were no outstations.

“This mobile office will also be of paramount importance for the achievement of the national land registration process. The office will also promote access to the land board service,” she said.  ENDS