Lands ministry allocates 67,883 plots, advances development plans
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday March 13, 2024 09:08
He told Parliament on Friday, when presenting his ministry's consolidated and development funds, that the remaining 32,117 are in preparation for allocation before the financial year-end.
Mzwinila said during the 2023-2024 financial year, a total of 73,520 plots were surveyed nationwide, with 59,475 approved, and 22,811 uploaded into the Land Information System ready for conveyancing and subsequent allocation. Another 25,813 plots are at various stages of uploading for allocation.
“Having surveyed all the plots within the built-up area, the plan for 2024-2025 is to commence surveying of masimo (ploughing fields) and boreholes to facilitate Temo Letlotlo and commercial agriculture. “The exercise will start with a pilot phase to enable identification of possible obstacles and corrective measures before rolling out to the rest of the country,” he revealed. He highlighted the National Spatial Planning's aim to provide a strategic guide for land and socio-economic development, ensuring orderly growth and development of settlements.
He outlined that progress includes the Francistown Development Plan at the survey stage and the Gaborone City Development Plan and Integrated Land Use Plans for Tsabong-Hukuntsi and Ghanzi-Charleshill at the draft stage. He added that the Maun Development Plan, Gaborone CBD Master Plan, and Mmamashia-Matebele-Oodi-Modipane-Dikwididi Development Plan are at the draft final stage. Mzwinila said the ministry, in collaboration with local authorities, is preparing detailed layout plans, producing 28,040 against a target of 30,000 plots in the financial year 2023-2024.
“The detailed layout plans serve as a guide for integrated planning of social, economic and physical development of the settlements.
The plans facilitate the formalisation of development, the upgrading of infrastructure and planning of social facilities," he said. "In the financial year 2023-2024, the ministry managed to produce 28,040 against a target of 30,000 plots through the detailed layout planning.” Mzwinila noted the completion of declaring districts as planning areas, making the Town and Country Planning Act of 2013 as well as its supporting regulations (including the proposed Spatial Development Code) operational in the declared areas, covering state, tribal, and freehold land.