11 May 2022

The Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs has appointed a team to educate officers across all land boards on the new delivery process.

Tati Land board chairperson, Mr Nixon Mogapi said this during a consultation meeting on the implementation of deeds registry (Tribal Land Regulation and Deeds Registry of 2018) and issuance of secure land titles on Monday at Thapama Hotel.

The one day workshop, which was attended by officers from Tati land board, Nata, Marapong and Tutume sub land boards was held to equip officers with information on the Land Registration programme and new land delivery process.

The officers are in turn expected to share the information with members of the public. “It is important for every individual to understand what is expected of them by complying and implementing new laws to better serve the country,” he said.

The intention was to develop a shared vision and enhance understanding of the new processes. He also said the harmonised interpretation and application of the new laws such as section 34 and section 5(3) should have them ready to hit the ground running. Mr

Mogapi Section 34 would now require publication in the Gazette and consent of the land board, where land transactions were proposed in favour of non-citizens.

On the other hand, section 5(3) permits transfer of land board functions or functions by the minister’s consent.

The content of the amended sections had not changed, but had been arranged differently to make land allocation more efficient.

Mr Mogapi said new laws should be looked at as an upgrade, with people adopting a different approach to doing things in adherence to the President’s Reset Agenda.

He further urged officers to make it a priority to cascade information about the new land allocation processes to the public, for a seamless working relationship.

Principal Assistant Registry of Deeds in Francistown, Mr Goitseone Lesiela the new processes were a result of assessments carried out to identify challenges in the land allocation processes, he said.

He added land disputes and unsurveyed lands, were some of the issues that were identified as among the major issues impeding effective land allocation.

“All land related laws were reviewed to make it possible to reach the intended goal of making land accessible,” he said. Mr Lesiela pointed said one of the new processes, was that all land boards would now use the same application form. Previously every land board had its own application forms.

He said also this would ease land delivery as both officers and customers would find the processes friendlier. ENDS