PLOT SIZES REDUCED
New procedures meant to improve land allocations
The new internal procedures implemented by the Tlokweng Land Board are expected to positively affect the rate at which plots are allocated.
Acting Tlokweng Land Board Secretary Thabo Tshipinare told the press on Monday that changes incorporated in existing pieces of legislation including Tribal Land Act of 2019, Deeds Registry Act, Land Policy among others, are geared towards improving service delivery of the Land Board.
Tlokweng Land Board Chairperson Elijah Katse noted that Tlokweng has limited land and is a peri-urban area with close proximity to the capital city hence they maintain the 60/40 percent land allocation proportion in favour of Batlokwa, a Presidential directive made with the aim of ensuring that tribal land does not lose its cultural essence in high pressure areas in Botswana.
Katse said that there are currently 59 164 people in the Tlokweng Land Board waiting list, however the Land Board continues to clean this list since it is not everyone in it that is eligible for allocation.
Some applicants have submitted more than one application therefore the Land Board will look at the oldest application, others will be eliminated on the grounds that they have already been allocated in other Land Boards and thus forfeit their right to be allocated land in trial areas as one cannot be given two plots by a Land Board in tribal land.
Katse explained that this is because people are entitled to only one plot in tribal and state land from Land Boards in Botswana.
Katse noted that land is one of the major factors of production therefore government is currently exploring improvements that can be made to the land delivery process, in particular to expedite availing land of all uses to citizens as well as re-engineering land processes and or procedures.
An example will be digitalising the whole land board process through the Land Information System which supports operationalisation of the new Economic Inclusion Act.
“The revision of Tlokweng Development Plan (2001-2030) has been finalised and is expected to be operational soon,” Katse explained, further stating that the plan is expected to facilitate the Land Board, the District Council and other stakeholders in addressing a lot of inherent development control and land use issues in the area such as allocation, land use conflicts and land development.
Moreover, Katse explained that the plan proposes settlement expansion into the Maratadiba and Sefoke areas, which is expected to yield about 4 700 plots. The total area to be covered by the residential expansion areas is about 900 hectares, with another 500 hectares designated as an Economic Free Zone along the Zeerust Road towards the boarder.
He said the Land Board has identified land within the planned areas at Ramfurwa, Khollwane, Mmaratanang and Letlapeng Wards and has, through due process, made it available for residential development.
These areas have yielded about 470 residential plots, among other land uses. The Land Board is currently allocating these plots as per current policies. This was done because the Tlokweng Development Plan (2001– 2030) proposes intensification of developments within the built-up area.
“New residential plot sizes have been reduced from 900m2 to 500m2,” Katse said, noting that this is per the provisions of the Tlokweng Development Plan (20012030) in a bid to intesify developments.
This reduction of plot sizes has resulted in an increase of the number of plots that can be obtained in the limited space available in Tlokweng.
Illegal occupation of land is a challenge to the Land Board, particularly outside the village built-up area in the arable ‘masimo’ and pastoral areas ‘meraka’.
“This unauthorised land occupation comes in the form of total self-allocations and self-extensions of existing allocations without the involvement of the Land Board”.
The Land Board is currently carrying out patrols in all affected areas with the help of Bogosi and land overseers, after which interaction will be made with the affected people and appropriate action taken.
Katse explained that they are also facing a challenge of undeveloped land in Tlokweng as per the agreement which stipulates that residential land should be developed within five years of allocation and business plots should be developed within one year after allocation.