08 Apr 2026

The long-anticipated delivery of 1 000 housing units under the Bonno National Housing Programme in Shashe West Constituency has taken a clearer shape, although with notable limitations in land availability and citizen uptake. 

Responding to a parliamentary question recently, Minister of Water and Human Settlement, Mr Onneetse Ramogapi confirmed that only a fraction of the planned units would be directly funded by government in the 2026/2027 financial year. 

Mr Ramogapi said out of the 1 000 earmarked houses, 31 units were budgeted under government financing and were spread across various schemes within the Bonno programme, including home improvement and turnkey housing initiatives targeting different income brackets. 

He said the bulk of the housing delivery of 969 units would depend on private sector participation. However, he pointed out that progress on that front remained constrained, adding that Shashemooke had emerged as the only locality with available land for private development, with 3 834 hectares set aside.

 He said the site was expected to yield approximately 55 plots under a project spearheaded by Young Alum Pty Ltd. 

Minister Ramogapi indicated that while government-funded projects were expected to commence in the upcoming financial year once funds were released, private developments would only begin after critical preparatory stages were completed. 

He said those included land title issuance, finalisation of designs and investor mobilisation, steps that could delay broader rollout. 

The minister outlined how the limited government funded units would be shared across villages in the constituency. 

He said Borolong would receive the largest share under the turnkey scheme, while other villages such as Makobo, Chadibe, Jamataka, Natale and Mathangwane would receive smaller allocations. He said the uptake remained uneven, adding that of the 10 units initially earmarked under the Ordinary Home Improvement Scheme, only five applications were received. 

 Shashe West MP, Mr Jeremiah Frenzel had asked the minister whether the 1 000 houses allocated to the constituency under the Bonno National Housing Programme were included in the 2026/2027 financial year budget. ENDS