25 Mar 2024

Scramble for land at Kazungula hub near Kasane Township is likely due to increased economic activity and development in the area.

Addressing a press conference on Friday in Francistown, Chobe Land Board chairperson, Ms Bwaambo Limbo said this was because of the hub’s proximity to Kasane, which is the district headquarters and economic hub.

She said in terms of residential plot allocations, Kazungula amounted to 84 per cent, followed by Pandamatenga with seven per cent and Lesoma with four per cent.

In the contrary, Ms Limbo indicated that Kazungula hub also had the highest number of plot transfers, which amounted to 44 per cent from the age group 31-40 followed by 18-20 (19 per cent) and 41-50 (16 per cent).

She said 60 per cent of transfers were done by males, followed by females at 34 per cent whilst joint ownership and companies stood at five per cent and one per cent respectively.

She said currently there were 1 865 applications for inheritance and registration submitted to Chobe Land Board dating back from 2021 and to date, Chobe Land Board had considered 244 out of the 1 865 applications which was 13.1 per cent. 

“Satau accounts for 45 per cent of all land applications followed by Parakarungu, Kachikau, Kavimba and Mabele; all the villages are in Chobe west,” said Ms Limbo.

Despite high demand for land at Kazungula hub, she said Kavimba, Kachikau, and Satau areas had no waiting list for land applications. 

“In fact, Chobe Land Board has cleared all the applications at Kavimba, which had a total of 76 applications. 

At Kachikau, 109 applications were cleared, and at Satau, a total of 26 applications were processed,” he added.

The board chairperson also informed the press conference that following the revised Chobe Land Board application policy of September 2021, board resolved to suspend all applications for cattle posts to take into consideration emerging issues in the implementation of this dispensation.

This, she said, would enable the board to consider and close the backlog of applications from the 609 applications received to avoid running the risk of creating a waiting list for meraka. 

“It will also enable the board to consult relevant stakeholders such as the Ministry of Agriculture regarding carrying capacities of the available land as viewed against the envisaged number of livestock, taking into consideration the overwhelming huge number of applications already received.

And to determine the efficacy of the current distances observed between meraka as it is evident that some meraka owners do not observe what was agreed upon,” said Ms Limbo.

She said the scarcity of land in  the Chobe District required effective and efficient use of land to allow for sustainable development; adding that 55 per cent of the land was covered by national parks and wildlife management areas whilst 21 per cent was forest reserves.

She said the remaining 24 per cent of the land in the district was tribal land reserved for human settlement, which was not enough.

Chobe Land Board secretary, Mr Patrick Mutakela also said the scramble for residential plot allocation in the Kazungula hub was due to a number of reasons, chiefly the economic activity and development.

In an interview on the sidelines of the press conference, he said other reasons such as the construction of the Kazungula Bridge and associated infrastructure created opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs, leading to an increased demand for land.

He also said the location of the hub near the border with Zambia and Zimbabwe made it an attractive place to set up businesses that could take advantage of the growing regional trade connectivity. 

“Kazungula hub has become the hottest property in the district, with the highest number of applications for land in the area,” said Mr Mutakela.

He indicated that the hub’s strategic location, near the new bridge connecting Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, made it an attractive place for businesses and individuals looking to take advantage of the growing regional trade and connectivity.

“Also, the hub’s convenient location close to the major road, makes it an attractive option for people traveling to other parts of Botswana and the region. 

There is also a significant number of people on the waiting list for land, further indicating the high demand,” said Mr Mutakela.

He said Chobe East experienced far more transfers than Chobe West, with 93 per cent of all transfers occurring in Chobe East, compared to only 7 per cent in Chobe West. 

Kazungula accounted for 80 per cent of all transfers, while Pandamatenga and Lesoma account for eight and five per cent, respectively.

He said land allocations in the district was a complex exercise and the board had to balance high demand for land with the need to protect wildlife habitat. 

This, he said, was done through establishing a zoning system that prioritised protection of key wildlife habitats, while allowing for sustainable development in less sensitive areas. ENDS