Dikoloti calls for good governance
29 Sep 2025
The effective delivery of land management hinges on good governance, transparent processes and responsive personnel that promote equity and sustainability, acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti has said.
Addressing members of the Tawana Land Board and its sub-land boards during a consultative meeting in Maun on September 27, Dr Dikoloti urged them to introspect and change their practices to fulfil the ministry’s mandate of ensuring national food security and fostering sustainable land use.
He said the ministry was currently overwhelmed with complaints regarding numerous inefficiencies in land allocation, particularly disturbing reports, which involved citizens who applied for land 30 years ago still waiting, while others who applied within the last five years had already been allocated plots.
“Such reports are disturbing because one has to ask if the problem is the policy or the implementers,” he said.
He added that the slow pace of allocation was a major barrier as it prevented many Batswana from accessing essential socio-economic programmes for which land access was a prerequisite.
He urged the board members to transform how they managed land and step up their efforts to operate in a transparent manner.
This, he said, was critical to create opportunities for a broad-based, inclusive economy and sustainable wealth creation.
“It is time to take stock of yourselves and see if there is need to look into the entire land management system with the objective of addressing the stumbling blocks that exist,” he added, hence emphasised the ultimate goal to ensure equitable land access for all Batswana.
On land as a key to national development, Dr Dikoloti highlighted the crucial role of land boards in achieving ambitious government goals.
He indicated that government was aiming to increase the agriculture sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from two per cent to a much higher six to 10 per cent.
“The land factor is key in achieving that,” he said.
The acting minister also told members that achieving the target of growing the national herd to five million was fundamentally dependent on land, as more land provided the necessary grazing space for cattle.
He added that land boards must be seen actively contributing to government frameworks and initiatives, including the Bonno Housing programme and the National Development Plan 12.
He thus challenged them to accelerate their efforts in allocation, saying land provided the essential resources and space for survival and economic activity.
However, Dr Koloti commended the merger of the land and agriculture sectors and was hopeful that the combined ministry would be able to achieve the set targets and improve people’s lives.
For his part, permanent secretary in the ministry, Mr Kabelo Ebineng, also emphasised that good governance in land management was critical to accelerate allocation.
Mr Ebineng highlighted the need for better land administration to ensure fair and efficient allocation of plots.
He also advised board members to fully embrace the Public Service Charter, which emphasised accountability, transparency and integrity in service delivery.
Earlier, Tawana Land Board chairperson, Ms Reamogetse Yekenge, informed the acting minister that the main board managed six sub-land boards as well as the North West and Okavango districts, covering 58 villages under tribal territory.
Ms Yekenge said they also managed areas in state land, including 38 land concessions with 69 sites, some of which she said were in protected World Heritage sites like the Tsodilo Hills and the Okavango Delta.
She stated that with more benefits coming from such concessions, the board currently experienced a lot of challenges as more locals wanted to own sites in such prime areas. ENDS
Source : BOPA
Author : Esther Mmolai
Location : Maun
Event : Meeting with Landboard
Date : 29 Sep 2025
Related News
29 Sep 2025
27 Sep 2025
Eye specialists conduct 250 surgeries
05 Sep 2025
Xi Jinping advocate for a fairer world
05 Sep 2025
