06 Nov 2022

Secure land title signals a new dawn for Batswana as it places them in a better position to reap greater benefits from their land holding rights.

   This was said by vice president and Boteti West MP Mr Slumber Tsogwane when receiving the certificate for a Rakops residential plot alongside a handful of fellow residents in the village on Friday.

Mr Tsogwane said the previous arrangement of ordinary customary land grant certificates limited the extent to which land holders could benefit from their land.

The new arrangement, he said, was both well-timed and appropriate for today’s era.

“Individual Batswana will now directly use the SLT as security to access financial assistance from financial institutions. This is a major step in unlocking the economic potential of tribal land,” he said.

Mr Tsogwane described the issuance of the new certificates as the culmination of government’s efforts to fulfill its pledge of improving the lives of citizens by among others, expediting and improving efficiency in the land delivery process.

“We made it a statutory requirement for tribal land to be planned and surveyed before it can be allocated by land boards. We have also made it possible by law for those who hold customary land grants to apply for registration of their land parcels with Deeds Registry. All these were done deliberately to ensure that Batswana derive value from their land,” he stated.

Addressing clients earlier, Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs acting deputy permanent secretary Mr Kealeboga Kemoreile explained that to date, a total of 831 000 plots had been registered nationwide.

He informed his audience that President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi had tasked the ministry with the allocation and registration of a further 100 000 plots by March next year.

Stating that the ministry was currently hard at work on the   assignment, Mr Kemoreile said 33 000 of the 100 000 plots had been allocated.

He expressed confidence that the target could be met by year end.

Another speaker, Ngwato land board chairperson, Mr David Modisagape said the new issuance of new certificates marked the conclusion of well-thought-out land delivery and management processes.

The ultimate objective was to vest the rights of land holders fully into their own hands, he said.

Echoing the vice president’s words, Mr Modisagape explained that once in possession of the new certificates, holders of land rights could enjoy access to financial assistance.

 That on its own would unlock a whole new world of economic opportunities for every Motswana, he said. Ends