09 Feb 2026

Gaborone City Council (GCC) has completed the property tax valuation exercise which it has been conducting, and is in the process of making the ensuing valuation report accessible to property owners.

In an interview, city valuer, Mr Nyathie Mafoko  said the objective of the valuation exercise was to improve property owners’ compliance to the requirement to pay rates for their properties, thereby enhancing the city council’s revenue generation capacity.

Mr Mafoko said the valuation report for property tax encompassed all properties within the council’s jurisdiction save for those that would have been left out for various reasons including through human error.

He stated that once the report was made available, property owners would know the value of their properties and the rates or taxes due to be paid and would be expected to commence making payments forthwith.

“We will share the valuation report in the media so that property owners can see and appreciate the value of their properties and the rates they are expected to pay,” he said.

Mr Mafoko said the main challenge they encountered during the valuation exercise was residents’ ignorance regarding the obligation to pay rates.

“Some people knew nothing about rates; others were reluctant to embrace the issue as they complained of poor service delivery on the part of the city council. Complaints included failure in garbage collection and other services,” he noted.

“But we did our best to sensitise them that paying rates would help improve council service delivery because then it would have the revenue needed to fix roads, improve garbage collection and the rest of the services it provides,” Mr Mafoko said.

He, for instance, stated that with improved rates payments, GCC would be able to address the lack of proper roads in Gaborone North, a situation which residents of the area complained bitterly about.

Mr Mafoko said revenue from property tax would also go towards street lighting, explaining that there was urgent need to illuminate the streets of Gaborone.

Talking about measures in place for those who would resist complying, Mr Mafoko said such individuals would be subjected to legal processes including prosecution. The city valuer also said valuing of property would be carried out every five years, with interim valuations being carried out every two years.

“Some valuations will be carried out as and when it becomes necessary. For example, when a property owner submits an application for change of land use, a valuation will duly be conducted,” he explained.

Mr Mafoko said the city council would work in collaboration with critical stakeholders among them the Department of Deeds Registry and conveyancers, saying such collaborative effort would enhance the valuation process.

He said currently the databases of the Gaborone City Council and Deeds Registry were not inter-connected, which made the collaboration manual and therefore tedious. He noted therefore that they would push for inter-connectedness so that both institutions would better serve their customers. BOPA