19 Aug 2020

Parliament has learnt that government through Botswana’s Land Policy of 2015, intended to empower Batswana through access to land for shelter and source of production.

This was said by the Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila when answering  a question from Member of Parliament for Maun West Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile.

He said the intention was also to curb citizen dispossession and discourage speculations.

Also, Minister Mzwinila said government through the ministry’s aim was to protect and promote the land right of all land holders.

However he expressed a concern that citizens were actively involved in dispossessing and disempowering themselves through transfer of plots to foreigners.

“Issues of transfer of plots in any land use category remain a challenge, a large proportion of the transfers have been from Batswana to foreigners,” he said

He said in the last five years, Ngwato Land Board had recorded a total number of 38 670 plots transferred, and Tati Land Board had recorded 3 864 and Kgatleng Land Board had 1 805 transferred plots while Malete and Tawana land boards had recorded 410 and 1 078 plots respectively.

Mr Mzwinila noted that while alienation of one’s last plot was considered as self-disempowerment, the banning of transfer of plots was an illegal practice and against citizen constitutional rights to transact.

He said the ministry had attempted to curtail the behavior but were duly stopped by the High Court.

However, he said the some alternative and other policy pronouncement were implemented that had the effect on managing the challenge.

He said if the government had allocated land at subsidised prices, those who wanted to alienate their land right within a period of 15 years would be required to pay the difference between the subsidised price and a full market price of the plot at the time of allocation and would not be eligible for any subsequent allocations.

He further said land allocated under special dispensation and economic empowerment schemes would not be alienated within a period of 15 years.

Once land allocation had been done in a particular land use category, he said one might not be eligible for allocation of land in the same category after alienating the plot.

Meanwhile Minister Mr Mzwinila indicated that the magnitude of the challenge on the children and households affected by the change of ownership was not yet known.

He said the ministry did not require applicants who transferred plots to provide information on the number of households or the children who resided there.

Mr Kekgonegile had asked the minister  if there was any consideration on banning transfer or handing over of residential plots, ploughing fields and cattle posts on all who did not  have more than one of those immovable assets.

Mr Kekgonegile also asked about the magnitude of the challenge in the ministry and on children and house hold affected.

Furthermore he had asked of any alternatives if banning was not a solution to the challenge. Ends