23 Jul 2025

There are no layouts plans for expansion in Tubu and Habu villages as a result of the flooding issue. 

Responding to a question in Parliament, Minister of Communications and Innovation, Mr David Tshere said the two villages were located in flood prone areas where there was a high likelihood of property damage due to flooding. Mr Tshere, who was answering on behalf of Minister of Lands and Agriculture, said this was verified by preliminary findings of a desktop study conducted by the Botswana Geo-Science Institute.

Concerning the Botswana Geo-Science Institute position on undertaking a study to guide land zoning, Mr Tshere indicated that should the TLB fund the exercise in terms of accommodation, meals and other logistics, they could under take the study. Botswana Geo-Science, he added, were preparing the quotation, which TLB would look into and assess their financial ability to fund the exercise.

He said following the desktop study, the district recommended that detailed geo-technical and feasibility studies be conducted in the area to guide land use zoning. Mr Tshere highlighted that the studies had not been undertaken due to lack of funding. He however said it was under consideration for inclusion in the ongoing project proposals for the National Development Plan, as they shall be more refined by the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme. 

“There has never been any relocations in the past 15 years because the existing residents were on the higher ground to which, they were relocated following the 2010 floods," he said.

However, Minister Tshere said government was aware of the moratorium issued by the Tawana Land Board (TLB) in 2010 on plot allocations in Habu and Tubu villages following a recommendation by the District Land Use Planning Unit. 

He said the built-up area of Tubu consisted of 205 plots of various land uses and the waiting list for residential plots was 137 while that for agricultural land was 138. Mr Tshere said the waiting list for Habu village for residential plots was 75 while for agricultural land was 53, adding that applications for agricultural land were not being received.  He said the total allocations in Habu totalled 292. 

"I must further indicate that the moratorium did not include other villages, which do experience flooding on account of the severity,” said Mr Tshere.

Additionally, Minister Tshere said most areas in the Okavango District were prone to flooding, but at different degrees. He said he was also aware that some infrastructure developments were provided in the village in the past 15 years, adding that the new developments were carried out within the built up area and they included Community Constituency Project butchery in Habu and staff housing in Tubu.

Mr Tshere said given the recent experience and the prevailing environmental disasters caused by climate change and the fact that the villages were considered at risk, it was not advisable to direct the land board to lift the moratorium.

He was responding to a question from the MP for Ngami, Mr Phillimon Aaron who asked the minister whether he was aware of a decree that was issued in 2010 to halt the allocation of plots in Tubu and Habu. Mr Aaron also wanted to know if the minister would consider withdrawing this decree as it has caused serious issues in families where children and grandchildren are forced to live in one plot. ENDS