Economic crisis deepens plot allocation delays
Pini Bothoko | Monday June 15, 2026 06:00
Appearing before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Government Assurances, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Mokganedi Mokopasetso, revealed that the current economic crisis is likely to further delay the allocation of residential plots to thousands of citizens who have already spent years waiting on allocation lists.
The revelation comes at a time when demand for residential land continues to soar across the country, while the government struggles to secure adequate resources to acquire, service and allocate land.
Members of the committee questioned the ministry on the challenges hindering plot allocation, particularly seeking clarity on whether the primary obstacle was the lack of funds to acquire land or the inability to service acquired land through physical planning and infrastructure development.
Responding to the concerns, Dr Mokopasetso explained that the ministry faces financial constraints on multiple fronts.
'The shortage of resources affects both the acquisition of farms from private landowners and the servicing of land that has already been acquired for residential development,' he said.
According to Mokopasetso, the government has, in some instances, successfully purchased farms intended to expand residential areas, but insufficient funding has delayed the necessary planning and infrastructure works required before plots can be allocated to beneficiaries.
'These shortages of resources will further delay plot allocation, which has been a concern for many years. In some areas, we have managed to acquire farms to extend residential development, but we do not have adequate resources to service that land,' he said. Dr Mokopasetso cited the recent acquisition of 45 hectares of land from Tati Company as a significant step towards increasing the availability of residential plots. However, he acknowledged that financial limitations arising from the current economic climate delay physical planning processes and infrastructure development required to prepare the acquired land for allocation.
The ministry further disclosed that in many parts of the country, dikgosi have already identified areas suitable for future village expansion. However, translating such plans into reality remains difficult due to budgetary constraints.
The delays are likely to worsen frustrations among thousands of citizens who have spent years, and in some cases decades, waiting for residential plots. For many Batswana, owning a plot remains a distant dream, particularly as unemployment and economic hardships make it difficult to purchase land privately.
Residential plot allocation has long been one of Botswana's most pressing land administration challenges. Despite successive government interventions, the backlog continues to grow.
Recent information presented before Parliament revealed that the Land Information System currently records 687,486 eligible citizens awaiting land allocation in accordance with the Botswana Land Policy of 2019. The figure highlights the enormous national demand for serviced and titled land.
The findings of the government's 100,000 plots campaign further demonstrated that the challenge extends beyond simply allocating plots. Authorities found significant structural gaps between plot allocation, surveying, servicing and the production of Secure Land Titles (SLTs), resulting in delays throughout the land delivery process.
For many citizens, the consequences are deeply personal as waiting periods for residential plots often range from 15 to 30 years, even in some smaller rural settlements. The prolonged delays have forced many families to remain in overcrowded, multi-generational households long after children have reached adulthood and started families of their own.
As a result, many citizens only receive residential plots when they are already approaching retirement age or have become elderly. The situation has become a source of growing frustration among many Batswana, particularly those who have spent decades on waiting lists without any certainty about when they will finally receive land.
In some communities, it is common to find adults in their 40s and 50s still sharing family compounds with parents, siblings and their own children because they have not been allocated residential plots. The overcrowding has often been linked to family disputes, tensions and reduced privacy.
Many observers argue that allocating plots to citizens at an advanced age undermines the broader purpose of land allocation programmes, as beneficiaries may no longer have the financial means, physical strength or time required to develop the land and construct homes.
The delays have also affected potential beneficiaries of government housing initiatives such as the Bonno Housing Programme. While the programme was introduced to improve access to affordable housing, many citizens remain unable to participate because they have yet to secure residential plots on which houses can be built.
Despite the challenges, the ministry indicated that some progress is being made. Dr Mokopasetso revealed that approximately 4,000 plots have recently been serviced in Mmopane, creating hope that allocations in the area could commence in the near future.
He further disclosed that by the end of June, the ministry had allocated 1,012 plots as part of ongoing efforts to achieve the government's ambitious target of allocating 100,000 plots nationwide.
However, he cautioned that population growth continues to place immense pressure on the country's finite land resources.
'As the population increases, land itself does not increase,' he said. He explained that the government is increasingly forced to purchase privately owned farms to create additional residential land, but the current fiscal environment has significantly reduced its capacity to do so.
Beyond financial constraints, Dr. Mokopasetso also acknowledged that corruption remains a concern within some land administration structures. He said the government continues to implement measures aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability within land boards to curb malpractice and improve service delivery.