23 Mar 2023

Botswana Land Policy of 2019 recognises that disadvantaged members of the society once identified are not processes through the waiting list.

Responding to a question in Parliament on Monday, the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Mabuse Pule said the policy had classified the categories of those people as being remote area dwellers, widows, orphans, youth, people with disabilities and the needy.

“In the past five year, a total of 9 066 people with special needs were assisted, of which 207 were people with disabilities, 130 orphans, 7 733 youth and 996 registered needy people including remote area dwellers and widows,” he said.

He highlighted that this financial year, the ministry had allocated 52 277 residential plots to Batswana including people in those categories..

Mr Pule, who was answering on behalf of the Minister of Lands and Water Affairs, said those people were to be provided with opportunities that would ensure their inclusion in the economic development mainstream through affirmative action in land allocation.

“The special assistance accorded these groups of people is need based. 

An individual does not automatically qualify for land allocation by falling within these groups,” he said.

He however said an assessment would be made and where a recommendation was made by the social welfare officer, there must be a provision that the plot would be developed through a well-defined programme or funding arrangement.

Mr Pule said youth were normally accorded preferential treatment where they had been approved for economic empowerment programmes that needed land.

He further explained that there was no provision for female-headed households as a category of those who deserved special treatment in land allocation unless their circumstances dictated that they be assisted as needy persons under the existing government programmes.

The ministry keeps data for special land allocations disaggregated according to people with disabilities, orphans, youth and the needy, he added.

Member of Parliament for Maun East, Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile had asked the minister to brief the house on the affirmative action principles of the Botswana Land Policy of 2019 in relation to women heading households, individuals under difficult circumstances and people with disabilities.

Mr Kekgonegile also wanted to know if the above-mentioned were made to jump queues and were allocated plots due to their circumstances and if not was the ministry amenable to such an initiative.

He also wanted to know how many had been made to jump queues as per each category in the last five years against those on the national waiting list in the last five years if any. Ends