18 Feb 2021

Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila has said individuals should not be denied a plot on the basis of having obtained a lot through inheritance or purchase. 

He told Parliament that equitable distribution of the scarce resources was the basis of the rejection, but the amendment of the Botswana Land Policy that was agreed upon in 2019, provided guidance and direction to the land authorities and indicated to them that they were not authorised to punish and disenfranchise people who through their own means had acquired plots. 

The amendment of the policy, he said indicated that ‘every Motswana is entitled to the same treatment and consideration from government, the criteria for plot allocation is citizenship and not their socio-economic status’ and basing on the above all Batswana must be treated equally and be entitled to their free plot. 

Minister Mzwinila further said the denial of residential plot was not tantamount to trampling on the rights of citizens ‘as allocation of a plot is a means to provision of a shelter which is basic human need and guidance has been given to the Land Authorities on the issue of equality in land allocation.’ 

The minister was responding to a question from the Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi who had asked whether it was fair for people who had obtained plots through inheritance or purchase to be denied allocation of plots by government. 

Mr Mmolotsi also wanted to know if the denial was not tantamount to trampling on the rights of citizens to be allocated land by government. Ends