04 Mar 2021

Land application is not a property right and cannot therefore be part of the deceased’s estate to be inherited, Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila has said.

Minister Mzwinila said only an offer letter could be inherited and not the provisional offer as the latter was part of the vetting processes, which the applicant had to go through before being allocated land.

Answering a question in Parliament on Tuesday, Mr Mzwinila further said the land application was for individuals and not for families, stating that under the Land Policy, anyone could apply for a residential plot.

He said in case of vulnerable children such as orphans, they could be allocated a plot after being assessed by social workers.

The minister said he did not have statistics of how many people died before they were allocated plots in Francistown and Tati Siding over the last five years. Member of Parliament for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi had asked the minister whether he was aware that when people applied for land they did that on behalf of themselves and their families.

He further asked the minister to state why land applications of deceased persons could not be transferred to their estates so the children could benefit.

MP Mmolotsi further wanted to know the number of people who died before they were allocated plots in Francistown and Tati Siding in the last five years. ENDS