09 Nov 2023

Government has made a breakthrough in re-claiming the largest privately freehold land measuring 45 000 hectares, which was in the hands of Tati Company Limited.

Apprising Parliament on the acquisition in his response to the State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) on Wednesday, the Minister of Lands and Water Affairs, Dr Kefentse Mzwinila said government would spend over P1.4 billion on acquisition of the land.

Dr Mzwinila said government was given an offer by the company and showed interest as an obvious expectation. He said the valuation of the land with various valuers was in excess of P1.7 billion, as base valuation. He said government did its own valuation and agreed with the company on a purchase price of over P1.4 billion to be payable over two financial years.

He confirmed that the deal in acquiring the land had been finalised, with the third and last agreement being purchase agreement also signed. As per the agreement, Dr Mzwinila said government would pay a deposit of 3.5 per cent of the total cost of the land by December, while the balance would be paid in two financial years.

Dr Mzwinila said since the deal had been finalised government had access to the said land. He said vast tracks of land in the whole of the North East District including Francistown and some parts of Tonota was owned by the company.

In his address, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said the North East District was one of the districts which was experiencing shortage of land due to the existence of free hold farms especially in the hands of the Tati Company Limited.

Dr Masisi said government made the decision to acquire the remaining land belonging to the company, measuring about 45 000 hectares. He said the decision demonstrated government commitment to avail land to Batswana for socio-economic development and attainment of the aspirations of Vision 2036 of Achieving Prosperity for All.

Giving background, Dr Mzwinila said in 1911, Tati Concessions Limited was given the land rights. The land was given as a concession solidifying the whole of Tati Company Ltd in accordance with the Tati Concessions Act of 1911.

Quoting from the Tati Concessions Act of 1911, Dr Mzwinila said, ‘The Tati Concessions Limited its successors and assigns is hereby confirmed in the full free and undisturbed possession as owners of all the land within the Tati District…,” he said.

Dr Mzwinila said what happened was that Tati Concessions became Tati Company Limited with full rights of the land. Initially, Dr Mzwinila said, the land in question was not part of Bechuanaland Protectorate.

Therefore, in 1914, Dr Mzwinila said the company formerly changed its name to Tati Company Limited and continued to be owned by Cecil John Rhodes until 1954 when there was a hostile takeover of the company on the London Stock Exchange and it was taken over by the Glazer brothers, Bernard and Sam.

At Independence, Dr Mzwinila said, one of the conditions in the negotiations for independence was the security of tenure of freehold land because free hold land was occupied by the British thus a condition was to ensure that the perpetuity of free hold land and further confirmed in an agreement with Tati Company Limited in 1970.

Therefore, Dr Mzwinila said the largest private land owner in Botswana was established which was Tati Company Limited. He  said in the early 1970s, government was donated various chunks of land within the Tati Company which established the villages in the North East District including Francistown.

However, Dr Mzwinila said Tati remained with most of its prime land. He said when Bernard Glazer passed on, he transferred the ownership of Tati Company to a trust and the trust controlled the two largest private land owners in Botswana which was Tati Company and Sam Estate. He said Sam Estate was a sister company to Tati.

Dr Mzwinila said Tati Company and Sam Estates were run by the trust. He said the company had approached government to give right of first refusal, which was the right to refuse to purchase the remaining land as the trust was winding up.

He said the right to refusal meant that if government refused to purchase the land, they would be able to go into the market and there were more people lined up who were interested in grabbing the land. He said the 45 000 hectares of freehold land was a massive piece of land, tempting and no none could refuse.

Dr Mzwinila said the offer covered plots in Francistown South, some various ranches, land on either side of the A1 in the Shashe area, Shashe fields on the A1 and Shashe River, Shashe fields extension, Tati Siding East which was the remaining land as part of it was taken to establish Tati Siding village, Tati Siding Farms, offering the remainder of the Tati Concession within the city of Francistown in Monarch, Phase 5, Monarch 9, Area A, Riverside, Satellite North and South, various Blocks in Francistown, Tati town, Francistown Quarry.

He said the other issue in terms of the valuation was what was known as consideration for territorial integrity. “This land has not been in our hands or in the hands of Batswana for 153 years, thus it was imperative for us to ensure that we maintain our integrity as a nation and our sovereignty as a nation to return this land to Batswana,” he said.

“As a sovereign republic we must ensure that our land was in our hands,” he said. He said it was imperative for government to get the land adding that if the land was sold to a foreign entity, it will have aspects bordering on national security issues.

As for the mineral rights, Dr Mzwinila said the rights were conferred under the company. He said currently there was illegal goal mining ongoing in the said land. Now that government has access to the land, Dr Mzwinila said, the illegal goal mining on that land would be addressed. ENDS