Allocation of residential plots remains a challenge

Over 23 000 on waiting list for SHHA plots in Gaborone, Francistown

Ask many citizens about their biggest concern. The answer is often the same; if they will ever be allocated a residential plot. Without doubt, being placed on the waiting list is a nightmare, irrespective of the type of plot one has applied for, let alone where.

Gaborone City Council has a waiting list of 11 071 applicants for the Self Help Housing Agency Scheme ( SHHA) as at January 2022, while the city of Francistown has 12 746 applicants as at January 2022 for SHHA applications only.

Eric Molale, Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development told parliament this week that the most recent application for Gaborone was received in 2004, and on the list the oldest was registered in 1990. For Francistown, the oldest application was in 1993 and the most recent was in 2021.

“In 2004, Gaborone City Council placed a moratorium not to accept any new SHHA applications due to nonavailability of land.”

Molale was answering a question from Member of Parliament for Maun West, Dumelang Saleshando, who asked him to state the total number of applicants for the SHHA in Gaborone and Francistown and when applicants who have been on the waiting list for over 10 years, if any, should expect to have their applications processed.

Molale said allocation of plots is dependent on availability of land, further that it will be difficult to state when applicants who have been on the waiting list for more than 10 years will have their allocations processed. He said the land around these cities is privately owned and for government to acquire it, they have to enter into lengthy negotiations and in some instances, attempts have been made to purchase like the Forest Hill, a land belonging to the church and government could not come to any success because parties could not agree on a price.

“So it is very difficult to then say at any given point in time, there will be land for both Gaborone and Francistown.” He said notwithstanding, and appreciating these challenges of obtaining plots in urban areas, government and in particular his ministry, is considering several options of how to deal with the issues of providing housing for low income areas, and this includes the possibility of having high density affordable housing units in urban areas: “to enable SHHA beneficiaries to purchase housing units through the turnkey method.”

Molale further said promises of housing made by the ruling Botswana Democratic Party ( BDP) were not false promises. “We strive by all means to always fulfil and where we have not, we always bravely go back to the people to tell them why we have not. In this instance, I have specifically said we are looking at a number of options that will help to house the low income categories of people, including high- rise buildings that will, through sectional title deeds law which we have, be able to give or sell to people. It should be recalled that land is a finite resource, there will come a time when we will not be able to allocate any further land because there will be no more land.”

He said government has many other options of not only providing housing in Gaborone. “Where there will be land, it will be allocated to people. Where there are schemes, they will be made available to people. Right now we have the GEMVAS, middle income housing scheme, the C4 and below housing scheme, SHHA turnkey and many others,” Molale said.

He further said availability as in the case of Gaborone and Francistown is dependent upon government negotiating with land owners so that more land is availed. “We have succesfully done that in the past.” Molale said there are plans around the Seuwane area near the Police College, where land has been earmarked for allocation to several income categories within the vicinity of Ramotswa, Gaborone and Lobatse, among others. Recently government acquired Ledumadumane for the same purpose. “This is a process which is ongoing and as and when land is found and acquired, it will then be allocated to beneficiaries. It is not a false promise, it is something that is ongoing and we shall continue to do.”