15 Oct 2026

Tawana Land Board has allocated a cumulative 11 000 ploughing fields across its six sub- land boards, with some allocations still pending beyond the outgoing board’s three-year tenure.

Land Board Secretary, Mr Patrick Mutakela, said this during the final Tawana Land Board meeting held in Shakawe on Tuesday to reflect on the outgoing board’s performance.

He said land boards, as administrators of residential, agricultural and tourism land, played a critical role in promoting social stability, sustaining livelihoods, attracting investment and facilitating development.

The six sub- land boards under Tawana are Maun, Sehithwa, Nokaneng, Gumare, Shakawe and Seronga.Mr Mutakela said the Maun Sub-Land Board had allocated 787 plots to youth over the past three financial years, describing youth access to land as essential for empowerment, household establishment, entrepreneurship and economic sustainability.He added that Tawana Land Board had allocated 1 920 plots covering 602 hectares under the Bonno Housing Programme, demonstrating its contribution to strategic national development.On land transfers, Mr Mutakela said the Maun Sub-Land Board had processed 1 332 of the 1 671 inherited transfer applications by September 2026.During the same period, it had also processed 601 of the 1 021 current transfer applications.

He commended the outgoing chairperson and board members for their diligence in land administration despite challenges, including geographical constraints, administrative issues, inherited backlogs, illegal occupation, land disputes and competing land uses.In his welcome remarks, Shakawe Sub-Land Board chairperson, Mr Ridah Shoma, said land boards should make appropriate decisions that empowered communities and facilitated investment to stimulate economic growth.

He noted that poor land administration could negatively affect people’s livelihoods, stressing the importance of community sensitisation to help the public understand the complexities of land administration processes.Mr Shoma said improved public understanding could help build trust, particularly amid delays in land allocations.

He also called for organisations responsible for land administration to be placed under one ministry to expedite processes. ENDS