27 Mar 2023

 The Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs has allocated 54 100 residential plots to Batswana in tribal areas between April last year and March 17 this year. 

The allocation represented 54 per cent of the projected number of 100 000 which was projected for the 2022/2023 financial year.

This was revealed by Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Mabuse Pule in response to a parliamentary question recently.

Mr Pule, who was answering on behalf of lands and water affairs minister, told Parliament that allocation of residential plots under such dispensation had proved to be a lengthy process involving consultations with different stakeholders.

“To produce a plot with all the attributes of a modern plot being plot number, plot size, coordinates and relationship to the existing plots and the parent plots require a process that starts with development planning, land acquisition, detailed planning, surveying, allocation and registrations,” he said.

He said the 100 000 residential plot allocation target to Batswana during the 2022/23 financial year was set within the existing resources of the ministry and government.

“The target did not come with additional resources and in an effort to accelerate plot allocation, a tender for survey and examination of the survey diagrams was floated in August last year,” he added.

However, he explained that the award of the cadastral survey (part A) of the tendering process was challenged by bidders, leading to the procurement tribunal setting it aside.

“This resulted in the delay of the exercise and subsequently plot allocation.

The tender was expected to deliver an additional 63 316 plots ready for allocation. 

This has affected our delivery timelines of the 100 000 plots,” he said. Again, he said the survey exercise began on March 6 this year and was expected to be completed on April 5, adding “therefore the plots will be ready in the first quarter of the financial year 2023/2024.”

Parliament further heard that the 100 000 target was not constituency based but was a contribution by land boards and sub-land boards. 

However, he said two land boards, Ghanzi and Rolong had reached their annual targets and share of the 100 000 plots.

Additionally, he said the five constituencies that realised the least number of plot allocation were Kanye North (120), Mmathethe/Molapowabojang (28) while Serowe West, Molepolole South and Molepolole North had not allocated residential plots during the concluding financial year on March 17.“There are some areas where land for acquisition to expand the village boundaries was no longer available therefore allocation in such areas will continue to remain low,” he said.

Bobonong legislator, Mr Taolo Lucas had requested for update the house on progress towards reaching the 100 000 plots allocation target for the 2022/2023 financial year as pronounced and promised by President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi as well as the minister on different occasions and platforms.

Mr Lucas had also asked the minister to state the top 10 leading constituencies in residential plots allocation, number of plots allocated in each of the 10 constituencies during the 2022/2023 financial year.

Again, he asked the minister to state the five constituencies with the least allocation of residential plots under the same period and state reasons of the low off take in each of the constituencies.

The legislator asked the minister if he was still confident of allocating the 100 000 residential plots by the end of the current financial year. ENDS