12 Oct 2022

Government has been commended for improving living conditions in cities by developing and adopting the National Spatial Plan that provides a clear dimension to National Development Plan 11 (2017-2023).

Speaking during the commemoration of World Habitat Day in Gaborone on Tuesday,  United Nations Habitat executive director, Ms Maimunah Sharif, said she was impressed by the strong political will to transform cities.

“Again, great appreciation to the government for sustained progress in providing housing and improving human settlements since independence (1966) through programmes such as SHHA and the housing programme. The upcoming National Development Plan 12 will be a good opportunity to strengthen the link between development and sustainable urbanisation,” she said.

She said the UN-habitat was delighted to have a collaborative framework with government to advance the urban agenda and unlock investments in Botswana’s cities through the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2020.

This framework, Ms Shar said, would also offer the opportunity for UN-habitat to provide technical assistance on the implementation of the national spatial plan and optimisation of the housing policy and regulations while promoting people-centred smart cities to tackle the digital divide.  

About the habitat commemoration also referred to as Urban October, Ms Sharif, said October was a symbolic month within which the urban community came together to celebrate achievements and take stock on how best they were managing, planning and administrating their cities.  

For his part, the Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Dr Kefentse Mzwinila, thanked the United Nations Habitat executive director for gracing the occasion and for recognising people’s basic right to shelter.

 He also said the World Habitat Day was commemorated annually on the first Monday of every October to reflect on the conditions of towns and cities with focus on promoting the basic right to adequate shelter and housing for all.

Minister Mzwinila said this year’s theme: Mind the Gap, Leave No One and No Place Behind, was a quest to reflect and examine why people were left behind and how to empower them. 

He said each year Botswana joined other countries to commemorate the day and so far the event had been celebrated in many districts across the country. Ends