09 Feb 2014

Members of Parliament, on February 7, welcomed a motion by Gaborone Central MP, Mr Dumelang Saleshando calling for the prioritisation of the Tenant Purchase Scheme (TPS).

Kgatleng East MP, Mr Isaac Mabiletsa said he supported the motion adding however that the P600 million set aside by the Ministry of Lands and Housing for construction of 1 000 houses meant the government was building expensive houses.

On point of clarification, the lands and housing minister, Mr Lebonaamang Mokalake said the amount included purchase of land and provision of services such as infrastructure.

MP Mabiletsa said it was nonetheless expensive and said government should come up with alternative ways to reduce costs. Tonota South MP, Mr Pono Moatlhodi said home ownership remains priority and it should be the responsibility of government to house its citizens.

He said the BHC’s mandate is to provide houses and the ministry however milks it through dividends.

MP Moatlhodi said for the last five years the lands and housing ministry has received a total P81 million from BHC as dividends and was thus unable to deliver on its mandate.

He welcomed the announcement that first time home owners would be exempted from paying transfer duty.

MP for Gaborone West South, Mr Botsalo Ntuane said Botswana has a huge number of artificial middle class who although they have one or two cars and send their children to private schools, are unable to acquire houses hence live in rented properties.

He said the TPS promotes growth of the middle class adding this was a vulnerable group largely on debt. MP Ntuane said he supported the motion while at the same time the minister has indicated they have introduced another scheme.

MP for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi said government could source funds for the TPS elsewhere as it has previously done in the past. The purchasing of homes through the scheme, he said, would ease pressure on the list of people waiting land allocation.

Debating the motion MP for Kweneng East, Major Gen. Moeng Pheto said TPS served a good purpose in helping Batswana to purchase houses.

He said lack of accommodation and high rentals have forced people to commute from villages in the periphery of Gaborone. The problem, he said, was exacerbated by the Ministry of Lands and Housing for having not undertaken land servicing.

Major. Gen Pheto said he agreed with the introduction of TPS but it should be improved to benefit majority of Batswana.

MP for Selibe Phikwe West, Mr Gilson Saleshando said shelter should be taken as a top priority adding shelter was a top priority inscribed in his party’s manifesto and Vision 2016.

He said the P83 million allocated for Turn-Key project and Tenant Purchase Scheme (TPS) was insufficient to provide housing for applicants in both schemes.

MP for Gaborone North, Mr Keletso Rakhudu said he supported Mr Saleshando’s motion saying that Batswana should own houses.

He said BHC should improve its service delivery citing the 540 BHC houses in Phakalane which he said BHC promoted illegal occupation because the houses were not water reticulated.

“If they do things this way they will not be able to drive the TPS,” he said.

MP for South East South, Mr Odirile Motlhale also e supported the motion, noting that it was very important as shelter provided dignity which was one of the five Ds introduced by President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama.

Supporting the motion, MP for Kanye North, Mr Kentse Rammidi shared the same sentiments with Mr Saleshando that the P83 million allocated for TPS and Turn Key was insufficient because there was already a long list of people who applied for Turn-Key project. He said government should ensure that Batswana get accommodation, adding that the few who had managed to secure mortgages to purchase houses had vacated those houses and rented them at higher prices so that they paid their mortgage loans.

The motion was in the end adjourned to enable parliamentary committees, Finance and Estimates Committee and Lands and Housing Committee to look into it. The sponsor of the motion MP Dumelang Saleshando said he would table it at a later date after the committees are through with it. ENDS