06 Nov 2013

In accordance with the Deeds Registry Act, the only entity mandated to register tittle deeds is the Deeds Registry, lands and housing minister, Mr Lebonaamang Mokalake has said.

Responding to a question in Parliament, Mr Mokalake said there were two such offices in Gaborone and Francistown. However, in an effort to bring services closer to customers, Mr Mokalake said the ministry was piloting the lodgement and collection of tittle deeds at two land boards (Ngwato and its 15 sub land boards and Kgalagadi).

To this end, he said, land registration officers had been trained on examination of leases before submission to the relevant deeds office for registration. “Depending on the success of the piloting, this service will be rolled out to other land boards,” he explained.

He said the issuance of customary land grant certificates had all along been done at sub land boards. “Effective from April 2013, my ministry decentralised common law applications and issuance of common law leases to sub land boards. Therefore, sub land boards have the responsibility to issue land ownership certificates and common law leases,” he added. Okavango MP, Mr Bagalatia Arone had asked why applications for tittle deeds and land ownership certificates could not be made at sub land boards countrywide. ENDS