Gov’t to review ‘exorbitant’ land fees

Government has finally succumbed to pressure and decided to review the fees in the Tribal Land Act Regulations, 2022 schedule.

According to the Minister of Lands and Water Affairs Kefentse Mzwinila, the review of these fees is mainly meant to be accommodative to all Batswana.

Mzwinila told Parliament recently that this decision followed public outcry over the ‘exorbitant’ fees. “My ministry is aware of the public discontentment following the implementation of the revised Tribal Land Act Regulations, 2022. My ministry has been inundated with queries concerning the fee schedule or charges allocated to the different land uses, including agricultural land,” Mzwinila said.

“My ministry has undertaken an initiative to review the fees as reflected in the Tribal Land Act Regulations, 2022. The review of these fees is mainly meant to be accommodative to all Batswana,” he added. Furthermore, Mzwinila said internal consultations have been completed and the ministry is currently engaged in further consultations with external stakeholders.

Mzwinila’s response followed a question by Member of Parliament for Takatokwane Friction Leuwe, who asked the minister if he was aware that the enactment of the Tribal Land Act of 2018 resulted in significantly increased lease rates for agricultural land and if he is aware that these increases created a heavy financial burden on the leaseholders.

The legislator also asked the minister if there were any plans to address the impact of the high lease rates on agricultural land. The Tribal Land Act 2018 was enacted as one of the major reforms in the management and administration of Tribal Land in Botswana. However, there has been an outcry, with many people citing its negative effects. Amongst other changes that the act introduced is the P3,000 application fee for transfer of land by sale, while transfer by inheritance costs P200. The act also forced widows to value their plots before they could be transferred into their respective names. Many people, including Members of Parliament, have in the past raised concerns over these regulations and labelled them regressive. However, the ministry was adamant that the charges were introduced as a cost-sharing or recovery measure.