28 Jul 2025

Government is committed to delivering decent housing and ensuring sustainable inclusive and resilient communities which compliments the aims of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat.

This was revealed by the President, Advocate Duma Boko while officiating at the launch of the UN-Habitat Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa in Gaborone on Friday.

The President said government was on board to ensure better shelter and sustainable settlement patterns, which fits the ideals of the UN agency.

“We are particularly encouraged that the priorities outlined in the UN-Habitat 2006-2029 Strategic Plan, which are adequate housing, access to land and basic services, tackling inequality, discrimination and poverty as well as the urgent transformation of informal settlements reflect the core developmental needs of our country and the entire Southern African region,” said President Boko.

He said the country’s aspirations to deliver affordable housing to low income earners had already begun in earnest with the implementation of the Bonno National Housing Programme.

“In Botswana, the provision of affordable decent housing for our people is one of our government’s top priorities, as espoused in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) goal number 11.

In this regard, government has committed to deliver 100 000 affordable house units to low income earners in urban and rural communities within the next three years, from April 2025 to 2028,” he said.

President Boko said the country was pleased to host the regional office of the UN-Habitat and stressed that Botswana was willing to host international organisations as a nation that was committed to multilateralism and global diplomacy even in the face of rising unilateralism.

“I extend a sincere warm welcome to you and your team. We are honoured by your presence and the trust and partnership that UN-Habitat continues to display to our country and our people.

I commend UN-Habitat for its commitment to building inclusive and resilient communities across Southern Africa,”  President said.

For her part, the UN Under Secretary and UN-Habitat Executive Director, Ms Anaclaudia Rossbach lauded President Boko and the Botswana government for committing to the development of human settlements.

“I extend my sincere gratitude President Boko for your visionary leadership and continued commitment to sustainable development. I also thank the Minister of Water and Human Settlements Mr Onneetse Ramogapi and the government of Botswana as a whole for the warm partnership and making this milestone possible,” Ms Rossbach said.

She said the new office would anchor UN-Habitat effort in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, including regional informal settlements transformation and strengthening disaster risk management.

 "It is the concrete outcome of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by UN-Habitat and the government of Botswana which outlines focused collaboration to promote housing and sustainable urban development aligned with the African Union Agenda 2063 and the UN SDGs,” Ms Rossbach said.

Additionally, she said the sub-regional hub would commit to driving innovative solutions to urban growth, sustainable human settlements, infrastructure deficits and environmental challenges across Southern Africa. ENDS