15 Dec 2013

The major driver of urbanisation in Botswana is the reclassification of its villages to an urban status which has increased from 54 to 64 per cent in 2001.

Professor Thando Gwebu said population from the rural areas and elsewhere was settling in peripheral satellite communities where prospects of finding accommodation and possible employment opportunities were better.

Speaking during the 2011 housing and population dissemination conference on December 10 in Gaborone, Professor Gwebu said although rural urban migration and natural increase play a role in urban population increase, the trend could be attributed to, mainly reclassification of the previously rural villages to an urban status. He said about 66 per cent of the urban population resides in urban villages who constitute 42.3 per cent of the national population.

Professor Gwebu said this was attested by the fact that the number of urban places increased by 18 per cent and the population classified as residing in urban villages increased by 9.1 per cent between 2001 and 2011.

The population, he said was also being forced to relocate from the main urban centers to the neighbouring peripheral areas in search of cheaper accommodation and land. This, he said was a positive development because the new urban villages would now be entitled to better infrastructure and social services commensurate with their population, function and status in the settlement hierarchy.

However, he noted that several challenges faced the newly designed planning areas, if conventional urban standards and building codes are to be applied, saying large finance for higher standard housing infrastructure, social services, their management and maintenance would now be required.

Professor Gwebu highlighted that the cities experienced an urban population percentage change below the national urbanisation figure of 42.6 per cent and their annual inter-censal growth rates were below the national rate of 3.6 per cent.

He noted that their rates show that they are now growing at a decreasing rate, saying the 1991-2001 annual growth rate for Francistown was 2.4 per cent whereas that for 2001-2011was 1.02 per cent, adding that comparable figures for Gaborone were 3.37 per cent and 2.2 respectively.

Professor Gwebu indicated that this could reflect the effects of urbanisation diseconomies and the movement of the population within the planning areas of the cities in to the adjacent peri-urban localities.

“The growth of towns and cities has not been that spectacular either,” he said, adding that although some of the towns did experience a positive change and growth. He stated that there could have been out migration into the peri-urban settlements for cheaper land and less expensive accommodation.

The performance of the two mining towns of Orapa and Jwaneng, he said was equally lackluster due to the global economic downturn facing the diamonds industry. Whilst Selibe Phikwe and Lobatse actually experienced negative growth, Selibe Phikwe has experienced the same problems as the diamond mining sector and in spite of government’s effort to resuscitate its ailing economy; investor confidence has never been regained.

Professor Gwebu stated that only the townships recorded notable growth over the review period, Ghanzi township had an impressive growth at 4.4 per cent per annum, adding that among the townships, the growth of Kasane was second to Ghanzi. He further indicated that Lobatse and Selibe Phikwe are economic downward transitional areas whose dominant economic bases are in a state of decline.

Gaborone, he said exhibits the megacity syndrome by dominating the national urban settlement distribution. Capital dominates the space economy in the provision of public services, financial institutions, human and intellectual resources among others, he said. ENDS