23 Feb 2026

Churches in Mmankgodi, Lesirane, Gabane and Tloaneng that have long awaited land for worship will have to wait until the 2026/27 financial year for allocations to be finalised, acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti has told Parliament.

Responding to a parliamentary question on Thursday, Dr Dikoloti said the Kweneng Land Board had initially planned to advertise non-residential plots for the Mogoditshane Sub-Land Board area by the end of 2025, but later resolved to adopt a broader approach.

He explained that all available non-residential plots across the entire Kweneng Land Board jurisdiction would now be advertised and allocated at the same time, a move that shifted the original timeline.

“The decision to consolidate the advertisement process was taken to avoid issuing multiple advertisements within a short period, minimise financial costs and reduce administrative pressure on the Land Board’s already constrained resources,” he said.

Dr Dikoloti noted that the Land Board was expected to complete the Invitation to Tender documentation by the end of March, with the tender to be issued in the first quarter of the next financial year. 

He said final allocations were anticipated to be completed by the end of the third quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, depending on the volume of applications received. Regarding land availability, Dr Dikoloti said a total of 17 non-residential plots had been identified for civic and community use in the affected villages.

“Of these, Mmankgodi has 16 plots, seven of which have been reserved for religious organisations, while Gabane has one civic and community plot. Lesirane and Tloaneng currently have no such plots available,” he said.

He further noted that the infill layout plan for Tloaneng, approved by the Mogoditshane/Thamaga District Council in October last year, provided for 50 residential plots only and did not include land for civic and community purposes, adding that the layout was expected to be surveyed by the end of June.

Dr Dikoloti said the decision by the Land Board to consolidate allocations underscored the need for a comprehensive solution to land delivery challenges, which had led to the establishment of a Land Lab under the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme.

The Land Lab, he said, was expected to address bottlenecks in the land allocation process, promote optimal use of resources and provide a platform for engagement with key stakeholders.

Member of Parliament for Gabane-Mmankgodi, Mr Kagiso Mmusi, had asked the minister to state when his Ministry intends to allocate plots to churches for worship in Mmankgodi, Lesirane, Gabane and Tloaneng villages as they have been promised such for so long. BOPA