19 Aug 2026

Nearly 20 per cent of Secure Land Title certificates are still waiting in the system, with 4 668 of 24,506 Deeds of Customary Land Grants pending at various stages in the Deeds Registry.

 Assistant Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Mr Motsamai Motsamai, told Parliament on Tuesday that the backlog was not solely the fault of the Deeds Registry, but part of a wider ‘value-chain problem.’ “The delay is not attributable to the Deeds Registry alone but a value-chain problem beginning with the quality and completeness of historical land records and survey information,” Mr Motsamai said. He explained that the process ran from surveying and data preparation, through verification and conveyancing, to final registration. Challenges at each stage  including shortage of human capital and limited budget  were contributing to delays in producing and issuing the grants.

Mr Motsamai acknowledged that the country’s two registries, in Gaborone and Francistown, were not fully resourced to handle the surge in applications following the enactment of the Tribal Land Act in 2018. He noted that while both offices could carry out examination, registration, execution and issuance, only Gaborone could print the actual Deeds of Customary Land Grants.

“Therefore, decentralising the Deeds Registry services in isolation would not achieve the intended improvements to service delivery without the commensurate resources,” he said. Under current land administration reforms, government is pursuing decentralisation through digital systems and strengthened district operations, the Assistant Minister said. Through the web-based Land Information System, LIS, officers at Land Boards across the country can now process Secure Land Title transactions electronically without everything being done in Gaborone. “Government is therefore focusing on expanding access to these digital services, improving connectivity and strengthening capacity at district level so that more work can be completed closer to where citizens live,” Mr Motsamai said. He added that the approach was expected to increase processing capacity, reduce turnaround times, and improve access in a more affordable and sustainable manner. Mr Motsamai was responding to Shashe West MP, Mr Jeremiah Frenzel, who asked how long Secure Land Title certificates had been in use and for an update on issuance. Mr Frenzel also asked when Deeds Registry services would be fully decentralised, noting that certificates were still only printed in Gaborone. He further enquired when the Francistown office would be authorised to provide full SLT services, and what was causing delays in delivery to citizens. ENDS